The Call
by Poohdog
Summary: They were three sisters in all, sisters who stuck together and loved, sometimes only each other. And then came new types of love. Obsession, duty, and possibly true. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda. Andromeda/Ted Narcissa/Lucius COMPLETED
1. Prologue

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_July 1966- Prologue_

He was thrilled with the choice. Obviously the younger girl would be prettier but she would not be that strong. She would not be able to be left alone for long periods of time and would need constant social attention. At any other time it wouldn't have mattered but now they were on a crossroads and social needs would have to come second. They were on the brink of reform. No, the middle girl would be best. She would hardly be unattractive; she was a Black after all. He watched through the window as she played with two of her younger cousins. They were entertained and happy; she would keep his children the same. Through the window he saw her scoop up the younger one and spin him, laughing the whole time. Physical strength was something the small blonde girl would not easily possess. She would need someone to protect her. This girl would not.

"You're certain then?" Mr. Black asked coming up behind him. He nodded. The older man made no other reply to the young man of seventeen than to go to the back door. "Andromeda!" he called out. The girl stopped short and headed in as one of her cousins pouted after her. There was movement in the grass as Narcissa gracefully lifted herself from her spot and followed. He saw Bellatrix come in another door, called by her sister's name and was standing by the doorway.

"Yes, Father?" Narcissa asked as she reached the doorway first.

"I need Andromeda to come inside and listen," he told her. Narcissa nodded and waltzed quickly through the doorway to allow her older sister to enter. The curly brown haired girl came in and went to go stand by Bellatrix, watching her father, glancing at the other man.

"Andromeda this is Rodolphus Lestrange," her father said as soon as the door was shut.

"Hello," she greeted quietly, meeting his eyes only for a moment. Narcissa curtsied and Bellatrix nodded at him, recognizing him easily.

"Mr. Lestrange has asked for your hand in marriage. I have accepted it for you," her father told her matter-of-factly. She struggled to hide a confused look.

"What is it Andromeda?" Rodolphus asked before her father could attempt to cover it up. Let him be sure that she was good enough at coming up with excuses. She would have to learn to control her facial expressions but having a quick mind was not a bad thing.

"I remembered that there was a Lestrange in my sister's year at school and you reminded me of him. I was trying to recall his name so I might ask you about him if we spoke later," she said coolly. It was a fairly good excuse. It would do well enough.

"And did you remember it?"

"It's Rabastan, isn't it?

"Yes, that is my brother's name."

"Good, I'm glad I was able to recall it."

"I must be going then, Cygnus," he said, trying out the new name. He could call the stern man by his first name now that he was engaged to one of his daughters.

"I will see you to the door." The three sisters watched as their father left with the young man and waited until the thick door was firmly shut before doing anything. Narcissa wavered into a chair as Andromeda leaned against the wall.

"Oh, Bella," she cried out.

"Isn't it wonderful, Annie?" Narcissa asked Andromeda.

"Cissy would you go tell the elf to give Sirius and Regulus their lunch outside?" Bellatrix ordered. Her youngest sister sighed and then flaunted away.

"Bella," Andromeda whined again weakly. Her sister walked over beside her. "It's not that he's awful or that I wanted someone else it's just-"

"You dared to dream. I told you it would get you into trouble."

"But you dream."

"No one would want me. I'm too rough around the edges."

"I'm hardly Narcissa."

"No, you're not which makes it even worse."

"What's that supposed to mean? Wouldn't that make things better? Wouldn't it make me rougher around the edges?"

"You aren't rough enough to be left completely alone and you're not soft enough to just be allowed to be completely alone. You're in the middle and that's no place good to be."

"You're still making no sense."

Bellatrix sighed. "Nobody wants me because I'm too hard to control. I end up left alone. Narcissa is soft enough that everyone thinks, and is probably right, that they can leave her alone and she'll do what's expected of her. She can live the life she wants and be left alone because people assume, probably correctly, that it will be in the guidelines. You on the other hand are gifted with neither trait. You're too soft for people to just give up and too hard for people to think you have no dreams of your own. So you don't get left alone so you can't pursue your own dreams."

"But Narcissa can? That's not fair."

"You know as well as I do that she has few dreams. That's why she's allowed to have them."

"I know," Andromeda sighed. "Bella what if I just acted like you?"

Her sister grinned, "Then father would tan both our hides."

"Why would he do that?" Narcissa asked as she re-entered the room.

"If Annie became a rebel-like me." Narcissa giggled.

"You're not a rebel, Bella, you just think like a boy. And I like you like that." She looked up with adoring eyes at her biggest sister. Bellatrix patted Andromeda lightly on the shoulder and Andromeda smiled over at Narcissa, loving her sweet innocence. They were three sisters almost exactly two years apart from each. Narcissa was eleven; Bellatrix was fifteen. As of yet, they had no future. They did not know they were living on the crossroads. The sweet innocence was doomed to end.

**Dear Reader and Potential Reviewer,**

**This is the prologue to my story. The meat of the story will be written in 3rd person limited, Andromeda's perspective. Obviously, the prologue is not.**

**The thing of it is that before I post the "meat of the story", I'd like to get some reviews to see if people would actually be interested in me posting the story. So here is the typical review begging. Please, please, please, please! (is that enough "pleases") I'd promise one of the male characters but frankly, most of them end up dead or evil or both by the time you've read through Deathly Hallows so um since this isn't AU um, I can't really promise you one of them. Sorry. Have a cookie for a review?**

**Thanks,**

**Poohdog**

**PS Yes I know Rodolphus marries Bellatrix and he does in the end, I assure you.  
**

**Edited for Rodolphus's Age  
**


	2. Part 1: Chapter 1

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_September 1968_

"Nar-cis-a Black are you ready, yet?" Bellatrix called, banging on the bathroom door.

"Of course I am," she answered as if there were no reason at all to question her timing. She slipped through the doorway, her robes swishing about her easily. "You're awfully impatient today."

"Just today? How about this whole month?" Andromeda grumbled.

"I am sorry if I'm not as angelic about waiting as you two fine ladies," Bellatrix sneered, "but I do have other things on my mind." Narcissa looked worn out with this and Andromeda laughed.

"And what may I ask is on my darling sister's mind?" Andromeda asked dryly.

"Is it a boy?" Narcissa questioned.

"Annie, I've told you I can't tell you," Bellatrix told her. "And Cissy, you know me better than to think I'd get attached."

"I thought you might have been becoming exciting," Narcissa told her in a monotone type of voice. "Well are we ready?"

"I don't know, I'm ready and Annie's ready but you're the one we have been waiting for the past half hour."

Narcissa seemed to ignore the sarcasm. "Good then; let's go. I wouldn't want to miss the train."

"I've always wished we would. Then we could just use floo," Bellatrix sighed.

"But I promised Lysandra that I would meet her on the train," Narcissa protested. "And I-"

"Well, I did not say we would miss it. I just thought it would be easier. Annie where are you going?" Bellatrix asked Andromeda who was heading down the hall ahead of them, leaving her book bag behind.

"I've just remembered that I promised to say good-bye to Siri and Regulus," she answered. "You reminded me with your talk about the floo."

"Why did you promise them that?" Narcissa asked her.

"Because they adore her," Bellatrix answered simply. "What's wrong with her talking to them?"

"They're only children."

"They're still going to grow up and if she wants to there's no harm."

"But-" Andromeda left her two sisters in the hall to argue. She walked into the living room and crouched down by the fire, throwing in some of the green powder.

"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," she hollered into the constant flames. They were cool because of the summer, charmed to give off only light and no heat. The fire changed to a rich emerald and she ducked her head inside of it. Through the length of space she could see the smaller of her two cousins sitting on the floor playing with a set of small figurines.

"Regulus," she said, calling his attention toward the fire as she tried to shift her legs into a more comfortable position on the rug back at home.

"Annie!" he called happily as he dashed to his feet. "Just a second." He raced out of the room, leaving his toys on the ground. A moment later he returned with his older brother in tow.

"Hi!" he greeted, his large, sloppy smile filling his face. Regulus glanced between watching her and watching him. Some of his excitement seemed to have dissipated after he had left the room and come back. She was willing to bet he had figured out she was Flooing to say good-bye.

"Hello, Siri. I have got to be going really soon but I said I would say good-bye first."

"You're leaving for Hogwarts already?" he said, looking like a scolded puppy. Neither he nor Regulus ever took good-byes very well.

"I'm afraid so."

"Bye then I guess," Sirius pouted. His brother putting on a matching look behind him. Andromeda fought not to laugh.

"Good-bye," she told them and then slipped back through the fire. When she looked around she saw Narcissa and Bellatrix waiting for her.

"Are you ready now?" Bellatrix asked.

"Of course," she answered as she pulled herself off the ground, her knees practically singing with relief. "Let's go."

The three girls followed their mother out of the house and down the street to where a portkey was waiting. It took them right to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Their parents did not want to fraternize with muggles where not necessary. Their mother said hardly a word as her three daughters disappeared into the crowd. Narcissa quickly found some of her friends, most of them in the same year as her, third year. Andromeda and Bellatrix discovered a compartment of their own and sat down. No one bothered them. Most people were afraid of Bellatrix. The two oldest Black sisters mostly kept to themselves. Just after the train had begun to move, Andromeda got up and began to walk through the compartments of the train. She had to go meet the prefects. Receiving her badge was a subject of much teasing from Bellatrix. Narcissa saw that Rodolphus had said he was proud that Andromeda was a prefect and thought there was no greater honor. Andromeda found herself leaning more toward Bellatrix's side.

Andromeda stood at the back of the train compartment as the head boy and girl, a mousy Ravenclaw girl and a stout Hufflepuff boy, informed them of what they were supposed to do. She and the other fifth year prefects were supposed to lead the first years from the Great Hall to their common rooms. That was easy enough. She looked around to see who the other Slytherin prefect was. She growled under her breath as she saw a lanky boy by the name of William Yaxley. It wasn't that he was an awful person but she found him highly annoying. He had an interest in Narcissa and spent far too much of his time attempting to strike up a conversation with Andromeda about her younger sister. Thankfully, he fled every time Bellatrix came up. Andromeda stretched her back and focused a blank stare at the Ravenclaw girl who was leading. Her mind wandered out the window in the remaining quarter of an hour until she was allowed to leave.

Bellatrix had been joined in their compartment by Rabastan Lestrange and a couple of his friends. Bellatrix rolled her eyes over at Andromeda when she entered. She nodded back at her sister in agreement as she sank down in the seat next to her. "How was it Annie?" Bellatrix asked softly.

"Dull," she answered. Bellatrix nodded as Andromeda pulled a book out of her bag and began to read. She answered politely but distantly when one of Rabastan's friends attempted to include her in the conversation. He shortly gave up and attempted to get Bellatrix to join in the conversation, leaving Andromeda to her book. It was too much longer before Rabastan and his two friends were talking only to themselves. Both Bellatrix and Andromeda felt that they had better things to do.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade, Bellatrix and Andromeda exited without saying anything to their fellow Slytherins in the compartment. The climbed into a carriage behind the invisible horses and sat down, chatting only amongst themselves. A group of people from their house joined the carriage and greeted them. Andromeda replied politely to them but Bellatrix wasn't saying anything. At first this didn't seem strange but she wasn't even saying a sarcastic hello to Avery, someone she had spent a good deal of last year alone in broom closets with.

"Are you all right?" Andromeda asked as they exited the carriage on the grounds and began walking together in a small group up to the castle.

"Fine, Annie," Bellatrix answered, seeming somewhat surprised.

"You're just acting more reclusive than ever."

"So what?"

"Is there a reason?"

"Perhaps."

"Then tell me," Andromeda told her exasperatedly.

"No."

"But you tell me everything."

"Up till now."

"What's different now?"

"Annie, I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand."

"I'm not dumb you know. I get better marks than you do," Andromeda insisted, pausing on the path up to the front doors. Bellatrix sighed and grabbed her arm, pulling her along. Her eyes glanced around at the people milling around them. She didn't want to appear out of place.

"I know you do. But you're not smart about people."

"At least I speak to them."

"No, Andromeda merely picking up small conversations with people is not 'knowing' about people in general. Narcissa knows about people because she joins in among them; I know about people because I watch them; you know nothing about people. You are too busy getting to know a handful of people."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Bellatrix smirked, looking over at Andormeda. She loved to feel superior. Andromeda didn't much like it when her sister did this to her; usually she just played games with other people. Now, however she seemed to be making an exception. She figured it had something to do with Bellatrix trying to hide some secret.

"I mean that you know the people you chose to know very well: me, Sirius, Narcissa, you know. You do not, however, know all that much about people in general, how they really work in life. You think of people far too personally."

"And Narcissa doesn't? She treats everyone like her best friend."

"Exactly. Everyone. Narcissa treats everyone worthy of her attention the same; I treat everyone the same. You treat people individually."

"You treat me differently," Andromeda pointed out.

"We all have our faults. Mine is you and Narcissa," Bellatrix answered simply. "I am sure it will be understood."

"Understood by who?" Andromeda asked suspiciously.

Bellatrix grinned, "In good time you'll find out. You aren't useful to the cause yet. You will be; I'm sure. I'll make sure you are."

"Bella!" Andromeda pleaded. Her sister kept moving and walked through the doors, quickening her pace.

"We should head inside. I want to see if we know any of the first years."

"Why are you keeping this from me? We have never had secrets between us before. You know we haven't."

"Come on don't you want to make fun of the little first years as they're terrified up in front of everyone?"

"No," Andromeda said. She actually hated watching the sorting. She hated remembering that sickeningly nervous feeling of expectation and worry in her stomach. Bellatrix knew that. "I want to know what my sister is keeping from me."

"Come along," Bellatrix told her. She opened the door and ushered her sister in. Andromeda walked in, sulking as the pair started toward the Slytherin table.

**As always, please review!**

***Edited for a bit of description***


	3. Part 1: Chapter 2

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_September 1968_

That night Andromeda filed her clothes into the wardrobe and organized her books underneath her nightstand. For the most part she started off pretty neat. Rarely did she stay that way. Within two weeks she guessed, she would be scrabbling around the room looking for some missing robe, shuffling through her books for an assignment she needed to finish, and sloshing the now neat bed clothes around to look for a lost quill. After all her things were in order she headed down to the bathroom to take a shower. It was on the way back that she met up with Bellatrix. "Settled in?" Bellatrix asked her.

"Just about. You?"

"Oh, pretty much I suppose," she said leaning toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Downstairs."

"To do what?"

"Leave."

"To go where?"

Bellatrix paused for a moment before replying, "None of your business."

"Bella, please tell me what is going on. You know I won't breathe a word. I never do."

"Why is this bugging you so much?"

"Because you have never kept anything from me before."

"How do you know?"

"Have you?" Andromeda asked confidently.

"No," Bellatrix admitted. "But I could have."

"Bella, why-"

"I am not telling you, Andromeda!" she interrupted. A pair of third year girls jumped and skittered along the hallway.

"Then you better have a da-"

"Yeah I do have a damn good reason!"

"What could possibly be so bad that you're willing to sneak out on the first day of school?" Andromeda hissed. "What could possibly be so bad that you can't tell your own sister who you know won't tell anyone?"

"This is not a question of 'so bad', Andromeda," her sister snarled back. "This is a question of something more powerful than sisterhood." Andromeda was left standing in the hall as Bellatrix went down the stairs to leave. Behind her she heard the door of the third years shut. They had been watching. She turned around, half hoping one of them had slipped out so she could snarl at them but all she saw was a small first year girl. Her hair was a brown that was hardly blonde but somehow seemed pale.

"What?" Andromeda asked her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her eyes looking away.

"For what?" she asked in confusion, her tone snippy.

"That you had a fight with that girl."

"Oh. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, looking up. They both paused. Andromeda looked over the girl more carefully. Her eyes were grey and somewhat sorrowful; she was small, even for a first year.

"What is your name?" she asked her.

"Francis," she answered, curling her round nose in disgust. It seemed obvious she did not like her name.

"Don't you want to hang around with the other first years?" Andromeda asked her. She shook her head. "Why not?"

"They don't like me much."

"Why not?"

The girl looked down at the ground and then back up again, seeming guilty. "My father is in muggle relations at the Ministry of Magic," she murmured softly.

"I'm sorry. It's not your fault. They will see that is not you in a while."

"Do I have to be mean to muggle-borns for them to see?"

"I'm not and they think I'm alright," Andromeda said slowly. "I just leave them alone." She wasn't quite sure if this was what she ought to say. Perhaps Francis was right. Perhaps they key to getting out of a bad position in their house was to prove they were all for making life "pure". Andromeda had never had to prove herself. She just was sisters with Bellatrix. That was all there was to it.

"Oh." They paused again.

"What's your name?" Francis asked her.

"Andromeda." For some reason she didn't want to give her last name. It gave her a sort of anonymity. As if by not tell her last name she could prevent this girl from automatically give her respect because she was part of an "old" name. It was rather pointless actually. Anyone would tell Francis who she was.

"Okay." There was a pause again. "Which way is the bathroom?"

"That way," Andromeda told her, pointing.

"Thank you." She trotted off. Andromeda watched her for a moment before walking to her own dormitory and slipping into her bed. Outside her closed eyes she heard her roommates talking to each other, catching up on the summer. She had never been close to them; she had never needed anyone but Bellatrix. It was nearly unheard of for the pair of them to be in a fight that lasted more than a couple hours. It looked like this one would at least last the night. Sleep was an elusive dream that night.

In the morning Andromeda woke from a daze groggily. The girls in her dorm were beginning to stir as well. She rolled over and drew her torso upwards, glancing through the curtains around her bed at the dull morning light. It was enchanted much like the ceiling in the Great Hall. The cool air was a constant reminder that the Slytherins were really underground. Right now it was almost pleasant but in the winter the temperature was sometimes dreadful if someone forgot to enchant the fire to burn through the night. There was at least a fireplace in every dormitory. It was a requirement about mid-January when the cold temperatures dipped the greatest.

Once she felt ready, Andromeda walked alone up the stairs toward the Great Hall. Normally she waited for Bellatrix but she didn't know if her sister was still mad at her. She didn't even know for sure that her sister was back. It was lonely heading up the stairs and sitting at the long Slytherin table alone. No one sat by her. They had all grouped together long ago. Andromeda and Bellatrix were seen as a group, both rather aloof and Bellatrix rather frightening. Slowly, Andromeda began to eat her porridge while watching the other people swarm around at her own table and others. She was shocked when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"May I sit here, please?" it was Francis.

"Sure." The first year sat down beside her and reached for some toast and jam. The pair sat in companionable silence, both watching other people streaming, talking, laughing in the huge room.

"Andromeda," someone said behind her after a moment. She turned around to see William Yaxley with a stack of papers in his hand. "We're supposed to pass these out to the first and second years," he told her, shoving the second years' pile into her hands.

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes as he dropped a piece of paper by Francis and wandered on. Francis quickly began looking over her schedule. Andromeda walked over to a cluster of second and third year girls who were chatting animatedly about some incident that had apparently occurred in the common room that morning. They were all sickeningly giggly in Andromeda's opinion. She counted out the number of second years and dropped the pile into the middle of the circle that had formed. After all, their classes weren't any different from each other. Why bother to hand them out separately? Then she wandered on to various pairs and trios of second year boys all so intent on their food they hardly noticed she had passed by. Easy enough of a task. She went and sat back down by Francis.

"Do you want help finding your classes?" she asked.

"That would be nice," Francis answered and the two girls stood up and left the Great Hall, neither desperate to continue in their loneliness.

"How long does it take to learn how to get around here?" Francis asked.

"If I told you now," Andromeda replied, "it would seem like forever. If I tell you later once you realize all there is to memorize you would think I was lying because it was too short."

"What's that mean?"

"Exactly what I said. You don't only have paths to memorize. There are trick stairs, doors that you have to coerce to open, that sort of thing, all around. Right now you are thinking only about the way to get to things but not considering all the obstacles that you have to remember too, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Francis agreed thoughtfully.

"Eventually you will get so used to it, it will be like a second home," Andromeda assured her. "Jump that fourth step. It vanishes every day ending in a two." Silently Francis followed her instructions.

Andromeda was showing Francis where the Defense Against the Dark Arts room was when Bellatrix showed up. "I've been looking for you," she stated blandly.

"I've been around," Andromeda answered. Francis, who a minute ago had been begun shyly babbling with Andromeda about the teachers, fell silent. She was staring up at Bellatrix. Bellatrix ignored her.

"I figured as much. I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Andromeda asked, staring at her sister through suspicious eyes. It wasn't like stubborn Bella to give up her ground or apologize.

"Not in front of shorty over there," she said, for the first time acknowledging Francis. "Don't you think you are taking your prefect duties a bit far?"

"That is my business," Andromeda growled at her. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the return of her own words.

"Look, kiddy, scat, will you? I want to talk to my sister alone." Francis nodded and darted away.

"Bella she wasn't hurting anyone," Andromeda protested.

"I wanted to talk to you." Bella sighed. "I want to tell you what is going on."

"So tell me."

"But I can't tell you very much."

"So tell me something."

"There's this guy."

"What about him?"

"He appeals to me," she said snobbishly.

"You mean you like him?" Andromeda asked, raising her eyebrows. There was only one other boy Bellatrix had had a crush on. She had been ten and had declared that Uncle Alphard had the prettiest eyes ever.

"I suppose." Andromeda stopped questioning. She knew she wasn't going to get any farther if she pressed for all the information now. Bellatrix took time to pry into. If there was something she wanted to say she would take her time about saying it and anyone who pressured her to say more wouldn't hear anything at all. That had been her mistake last night though apparently Bellatrix must really want to spill if she had come to tell Andromeda that morning.

Her first class of the day was History of Magic. Professor Binns floated into the room and started lecturing as soon as the bell rang, hardly seeming to have noticed that a summer had gone by. Around the room people chatted amongst themselves in hushed voices, occasionally looking up at Binns or scratching down a note so that even dense Binns didn't realize he had lost the class' attention entirely.

The rest of the day seemed to be spent hearing teacher's lecture about the upcoming OWL's exams. By the end of it, Andromeda could barely pay any attention at all to Professor McGonagall's lesson in Transfiguration.

After what felt like hours and only managing to take a brief bit of notes, the bell rang to dismiss the class and everyone poured out of the classrooms toward the Great Hall for dinner. Andromeda lingered behind. She hovered for a while until she saw some of the third years coming down the stairs from a History of Magic lesson. In the middle of a group of girls stood a pile of shiny blonde hair, falling neatly around a warm, slim face. "Narcissa," Andromeda called to catch her younger sister's attention. The girl waved at her friends and went over.

"How are you, Annie?" she asked politely.

"Oh all right. How was your first day?"

"Tolerable."

"Yeah, I suppose. Didn't I tell you Divinations a load of fruitcake?"

"Both you and Bella did but I am inclined to-"

"Disbelieve us?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "I am inclined to think you have not thought things all the way through. I know it's a load of dragon dung to anyone who doesn't have the sight but I still think it has value."

"Value to whom?"

"Learning how to make a good cup of tea, and being able to talk with your friends for nearly an entire class time, and see what some people really do believe. It is astounding really."

"Truly," Andromeda snorted.

"What is this I hear about you and Bella getting into a fight?" she asked with concern. They were by now walking down the stairs.

"It is of no matter. It is over now I think."

"What was it about?"

"Her secretiveness as of late. Surely you have noticed it."

"Of course," Narcissa nodded.

"She didn't want to tell me."

"Why did you want to know?"

"Because she is my sister."

"Why does that make you want to know?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I did not really care," she said clearly. Andromeda looked over her carefully. Narcissa was very good at acting but Andromeda was disposed to believe that her lack of care on the subject was genuine. "It is no concern of mine any more than Bellatrix's concerns are my own," Narcissa answered to Andromeda's unasked question. "Why bother with what I will not change?"

"What if it was something that could get her hurt?"

"Let's hope Bella is smarter than that."

"She is," Andromeda said defensively.

"I know she is."

"What if it were me?"

"You are too dumb to do anything stupid, Annie."

"Narcissa!" Andromeda scolded. Her younger sister shrugged. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Take it as you like. I need to go find Janine. I promised her I would lend her my new dress robes if she would give me her brother's notes from his third year."

"Cissy you stay here until-" the blonde girl dashed away, her wide smile conquering her face. Andromeda sighed and walked over to the table. She thumped down on the bench next to Bellatrix.

"What is going with you?"

"Narcissa said I was too dumb to do anything stupid."

"That is very observant of her."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Andromeda asked, glaring at her older sister.

"Figure it out if you want to prove her wrong."

"Somehow I do not think she was referring to my logic skills."

"Well then you are part of the way to untangling what she said, aren't you?" Bellatrix asked. "Have you had the new Defense teacher yet?"

"No. What's he like?"

"His nostril hair is so long he probably has to comb it."

"It's not like you to be so observant of appearances."

"He came and stood right in front of me. I don't think he much likes teaching a Black. He just retired from doing something in the Ministry of Magic."

"Auror?"

"No. Maybe just law-enforcement. Anyway, he stood there almost the whole class, glaring at me. I seriously thought about cursing him."

"Why didn't you?"

"Right as I was about to he finally got the picture and moved on."

"You chickened out?"

"Slightly. I do want to make it through this year with as few detentions as possible."

"That will be difficult for you Bella."

"Well I need a new challenge for the year," Bellatrix snorted. The two sisters kept talking through dinner and then walked down to the common room together, their fight misted over in the human need for communication.

**As always, please review!**


	4. Part 1: Chapter 3

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call. And this chapter actually has Ted in it. Oh, and FYI, in case anyone was wondering, I'm going off the timeline from HP Lexicon and the Black family tree. I guessed at Andromeda's birth year being right between her sisters.  
**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_October 1968_

By the time October arrived, Andromeda was feeling desperately worn out by homework. How Bellatrix had managed her fifth year without screaming was beyond her. Come to think of it though, Bellatrix had only gotten above an A in couple subjects, not bothering to put in the work. Andromeda had every intention of reversing her sister's score and that required a good deal of work.

That was how the day found her in the library sitting at a table with Francis, both of them engrossed in books. Francis had her knees scrunched up to her chest and was sitting across two chairs although she barely took up the second one. She was so tiny. Andromeda sat across from her, sitting on one of her legs while bouncing the other on the ground, leaning forward to press her eyes near the text of the book.

Madam Pince, the new librarian passed by them, hardly glancing in their direction. The two girls were such a common pair in the library that she had come to just accept it that they would behave themselves. Occasionally they spoke among themselves but it was always quiet and never in the way of others' study habits. They were ideal students in her opinion.

It was just after Madam Pince had left for the other side of the library that a third girl came running up to them. She barely avoided crashing as she leaned down next to the table, her elbows resting on the edge. "Cover for me?" she asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Andromeda sighed. She had a good idea what this was about.

"Tell Martin I'm sick and I can't do fulfill my obligations as a prefect so I'm sending you in my place." Andromeda raised an eyebrow at the seventh year girl. Cecile Rosier was, in Andromeda and Narcissa's words, a completely boy-obsessed airhead. Bellatrix, as always, had found more colorful terms for her.

"What if I have plans?" Andromeda asked.

"What kind of plans would you have? You've got a fiancé who's not in school any longer and you're too much of a goody-two shoes to go out and see, you're only friend is your sister who's serving detention." Bellatrix's goal had not lasted through the second week of September. "Either you're going to meet up with Narcissa which you can still do or stay here with the little," she looked at Francis, "well you can stay here."

Andromeda glared at her. "So what if I want to stay here with Francis?" she asked.

"I don't think your parents would find that a particularly good idea."

"I don't think _your_ parents would find it a particularly good idea that you're going off to meet with some wizard of twenty five."

"My father and Evan are well aware of what's going on."

"I said your parents not your father and brother. What about your mother?"

Cecile rolled her eyes. "That doesn't matter. Now will you or won't you?"

"Fine," Andromeda growled. "But you owe me."

"As you wish," Cecile snorted. "Meet by Professor Martin's office by nine. He'll tell you where to walk and you'll meet up with your patrol partner there." Cecile turned and left, her hair waving out behind her. Andromeda realized for the first time that Francis was studying the scene over the top of her book.

"What?" Andromeda asked her, flipping the pages in her own book to try and figure out how much weight a summoned object could have.

"You have a fiancé?"

Andromeda sighed. She had to have suspected this to come up. "Yes."

"But you never owl him or anything."

"Well I don't like him."

"Why-"

"Well I mean," Andromeda interrupted hastily realizing what she had said. "I don't dislike him either. I-I don't know him very well. Perhaps after-"

"Why are you engaged to someone you don't even know?" Francis asked.

"Tourjous Pur," Andromeda growled lightly under her breath.

"What?"

"Because my father wants me to," Andromeda answered her first question.

"Oh," Francis replied and then went back to reading. Andromeda felt relieved and then went back to her book as well. She was finishing up her essay when she noticed the time on her watch.

"Francis, you have fifteen minutes before you are late for curfew. You had better start heading down and I had better get to Professor Martin."

"Okay," the little girl answered distractedly as she finished up a passage in her book. Andromeda walked over to her and grabbed the book on the page Francis was on, closing it on her own thumb. "Hey!" Francis argued, looking up.

"Time to go," Andromeda told her. She sighed and grabbed a scrap of paper, shoving it into the book to relieve her thumb. The two girls grabbed their belongings and began heading out of the library and down the hallway. They were about to split when Francis turned her attention on Andromeda again.

"If your father wants you to marry some guy you don't know, what do _you_ want?" she asked quietly. Andromeda paused trying to think of how best to answer but she didn't have to. Francis went down the stairs leaving Andromeda to head alone to Martin's office. He was the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Andromeda thought he watched her far too closely and Bellatrix felt the same thing. She hurried along the hallway wishing she had refused Cecile's request.

"Ah, Ms. Black," Professor Martin greeted. "I was expecting your cousin, Ms. Rosier."

"She's not feeling well; she's down in the hospital wing or she was earlier anyway."

"I see. Well your partner for tonight should be-"

"Hey Professor," a boy said, coming lazily around the corner.

"Right here," Professor Martin finished with a grin. "Ms. Rosier couldn't make it. She's feeling ill." The boy snorted; Andromeda cast him a glare. "Ms. Black will be filling in instead. Make sure you check the Astronomy Tower. There's been students sneaking up there I'm told. Report back," he told them and then ushered them out the door.

"So Cecile Rosier is ill?" the boy asked, a grin on his face. "Or will we perhaps be spotting her in the Astronomy Tower."

"I do not believe so," Andromeda said coolly.

"Oh she decided to go someplace that's not quite so cliché? I'm amazed."

"Will you just shut-up?"

"I wanted to make my point," he replied casually. Andromeda didn't look at him but she thought he was probably smirking. His footsteps thudded down the hall as they walked.

"Who are you anyway to be making such assumptions about anyone?"

"About anyone or about a _pure-blood_?" he asked snidely.

"Either," she replied. Her eyes cast over him in the proud glare everyone in her family mastered by the age of three. He had grinned as though quite oblivious to the look of intense dislike he was receiving.

"My name's Tonks. Ted Tonks."

"You are very rude Tonks."

"And you're the epitome of politeness," he answered sarcastically. Andromeda raised one of her eyebrows which she was fairly sure he didn't see. They were heading up one of the flights of stairs to the Astronomy tower after Professor Martin's suggestion.

"For your information I was only rude once you-" she began angrily.

"Hey, cool it. No harm."

"Cool it?" she asked dryly.

"Yeah," he answered, sweeping in front of her to brush through a tapestry. Finally she recognized him. He was on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, one of the Chasers. His blonde hair was far too long, falling below his ears. There was dirt smeared on his nose. Perhaps he had something to do with why Cecile had wanted out of prefect duty tonight of all nights. "Cool it. You take offense too easily."

"Take offense too easily? You started out this whole conversation by insulting my cousin."

"No I started out this whole conversation by pointing out a fact that Rosier often spends time with boys in the Astronomy tower. I'm sure many other people would agree."

"Perhaps it is 'fact' but you had no reason to state it in such a demeaning way."

"And she would have been any less demeaning to me if I were a topic of discussion?"

"Probably not. You are of the male gender and not entirely bad looking."

He turned his head to smirk at her. "You think I'm good looking?" Andromeda opened her mouth to point out that there was a world of difference between not bad looking and good looking but he continued on without waiting. "You're forgetting that I'm a muggle-born."

Andromeda recovered in a beat. "That explains the dirt on your nose." She looked at him again when he had his head turned. When she was little and had heard her father talk about mud-bloods she had assumed that they looked different. At his mentions of mud-bloods infiltration the Ministry she had imagined mud-like creatures with large eyes slipping in through cracks in the walls of a tall building. It wasn't until her father had brought her and Bella along on a trip to the Diagon Alley where she had gotten lost that she realized they looked just like normal people. A woman about her father's age had stopped and began talking to her, trying to help her find her lost father and sister. When her father had showed up, her eyes had narrowed.

"Hello, Black," she had said lowly.

"Leave my daughter alone mud-blood," he had returned, grabbing Andromeda's shoulders. The woman had stalked off not realizing Andromeda was staring after her. When she asked why the woman hadn't been made of mud Bellatrix had begun to laugh. Her father had merely shaken his head.

"Maybe you aren't any different," Tonks said, pulling her from her thoughts as they began heading towards the Astronomy Tower.

"What ever would have made you think I was?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, you're willing to hang around with Francis L-"

"There is no reason for me not to 'hang around' Francis," Andromeda interrupted quickly. She couldn't listen to Francis's last name. Right now she could still claim ignorance.

"Her father works in Muggle Relations. Isn't that a crime equal with robbing Gringotts to your type?"

Andromeda brushed what he said about Francis aside. "Nobody could ever rob Gringotts. They'd be insane to even try."

"I'm sure I could manage one of those little cart things."

"Only goblins can," Andromeda informed him as she sped up to get in front of him, annoyed with being behind.

"Well, I'll marry a goblin then." Andromeda cast a disapproving look down on him.

"Even they wouldn't have you."

"I've gone from 'not bad looking' to worse than a goblin in-"

"I am just saying they tend to be clean and you have dirt all over your nose," she informed him, sweeping just ahead of him in the hall.

"I like it there," Tonks said coolly, taking a long step and ending up in front again.

"You are arrogant." She turned swiftly at a corner, beginning to walk down a different hall, making him trail behind again.

"So are you." He caught up.

"I am allowed to be."

"Down in the real world, princess," he said walking quicker as he got ahead of her, "I am too."

It was eleven when Andromeda got back to her common room. Bellatrix was sitting in a chair by the fire waiting for her. Malfoy and another fourth year were sitting nearby playing chess. Andromeda sat down on the ledge of the fireplace, delighting in the warmth of the fire on her back. Her sister looked over at her. "I hear Cecile got you to cover for her."

"She did," Andromeda growled. "She was off with-"

"Oh I know that. It is a good match for her really if she has the sense to stay with him. Honestly, Annie, our reputation might be scoured by our mother's relatives."

"It's likely," Andromeda sighed. Her back was beginning to feel a bit too warm. She got up and sat on the arm of the chair Bellatrix was occupying. "If I ever become so obsessed with a guy I give you permission to force feed me Liquid Logic."

"Only if the guy is truly unworthy," Bellatrix told her. "I have found someone who would be worthy."

"You ought to tell Cissy you have found a boy. She'll be thrilled. I think she has given you up as a hopeless case since your third year." Bellatrix laughed.

"I don't think I will bother to tell her until the time is right," she said with a smile. "She will know however, I will make sure of it. She can find no one better."

"I am glad you're happy," Andromeda told her smiling genuinely at her sister. Bellatrix shrugged and then locked eyes with her.

"I heard Cecile neglected to tell you that you were patrolling with a mud-blood."

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Cecile," Bellatrix said with a grin. "I have my ways," she answered before Andromeda could ask how.

"Well, she was right. He was awful Bella."

"Awful?"

She nodded. "You know that Ravenclaw Chaser? Not the one who drops the ball every time but not the one that scored ten times against the Hufflepuff Keeper last match before exams either?"

"Yes."

"That was him! And he is a conceited little-"

"Bastard. I have heard yes. Cecile told me," Bellatrix said calmly. "I think that's why she wanted out of the duty so much. Now, Annie," she said scooting over so her sister could sit next to her. "Tell me all about it." Andromeda slid down and launched into her story of Ted Tonks, the conceited and annoying.

**So I have a question and I'd be glad for any light someone is willing to shed on the issue. I know that the books say Nymphadora was Ted and Andromeda's only **_**daughter**_**(from Lupin in his rant about Tonks being pregnant) but it seems like a lot of places (like wiki type things) people say she was an only child. Am I missing something somewhere?**

**Reviews are always appreciated and make me smile.**


	5. Part 1: Chapter 4

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call, which is the song the part titles come from. It's a good song. You should go listen to it. Anyway…**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_December 1968_

"So tell me Annie, what are you going to get my dear future brother-in-law?" Bellatrix asked, locking arms with her sister. There was fresh snow on the ground as they walked along the main street in Hogsmeade. In the cold the two sisters moved close together, Andromeda's brown hair mixing with her sister's black.

"You're in a good mood."

"I had a good night last night," Bellatrix answered, a hungry look in her eye.

"You were with that boy again?"

"He's hardly a 'boy', Annie, but yes I was with him." She smirked widely, "I was definitely _with_ him."

Andromeda flinched. From experience, she knew that she didn't want to know. Instead she asked, "And you didn't get caught coming in this time?"

"Oh I did but I just confounded Pringle," she laughed. "He went off after some third year Gryffindor he thought set off dungbombs in the Entrance Hall."

"You could get in major trouble if anyone realizes you confounded the caretaker," Andromeda told her seriously.

"Oh, relax. It is not like taking my N.E.W.T.'s matters that much anyway. I have more important things in life."

"Father would be disappointed."

"There are more important men in the world than father," Bellatrix told her, the hungry glint coming in her dark grey eyes again. "So will you answer my question?"

"I wasn't about to get him anything," she said honestly.

"You ought to."

"Why?"

"Because you are sixteen now, only a year away from adulthood. It is about time you start to accept that you are going to be married immediately after you graduate." Andromeda growled, cursing her November birth date. If she was still fifteen, maybe Bellatrix wouldn't be bugging her.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I am on your side. But I think you had best take the easiest route and go along with the plan."

"What do you think we ought to get Cissy?" Andromeda asked, ignoring her sister's response.

"I hadn't even thought about it," Bellatrix answered, releasing her sister's arm and spinning out in front of her. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't think I have ever seen you giddy before. Turn your hair blonde and people might just mistake you for Narcissa."

"Well everything is going right for once isn't it?" Bellatrix asked. "I see now how things are supposed to be, how they are going to be. Annie," she said stopping and grabbing her sister's arms that were folded over her chest against the cold, "we are at the crossroads. The world is going to be set right. Your children might never see anything unclean in the world."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Andromeda said stiffly, shaking her head at her sister.

"No, no you wouldn't yet. But you will, Annie, you will."

"Unclean though- Do you suppose Aunt Walburga would be too mad if I got Siri dungbombs for Christmas?" Bellatrix laughed again.

"What does it matter if she is mad? What's the worst she would do to one of us?"

"Bella, you are insane when you are happy."

"Aren't I?" she replied, taking her sister's arm again. "Let's head to Zonko's and we can find something for you to give to Sirius. And we can think of what to do about Cissy as well."

"No," Andromeda said suddenly as a shiver ran up her spine. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks first. I want something warm to drink."

"Fine, fine. Something warm might be nice," Bellatrix agreed, turning her step to head in that direction. The pair walked together through the door into the crowded room and sat down at a table in the corner.

"Butterbeer?" Bellatrix asked, getting up to go order. Andromeda nodded. Her sister slipped into the crowd and she turned her attention to the window.

"What do you think you're doing hanging around Francis?" someone asked sharply. Andromeda pulled her attention back and looked to see a boy slightly younger than herself glaring at her.

"Excuse me?" she asked haughtily.

"Francis. You hang around her. Leave her alone."

"Does she want me to?" Andromeda hissed back at the boy.

"No but-"

"Then I will hang around her if I want."

"But if you do then she'll come and join us again, as she should."

"Who are you to insist I do anything differently than I am?" she said, her tone vaguely amused. This boy she guessed was about a third year, the same age as Narcissa.

"I'm her brother. And I know you're a Black. I can't possibly see why you're leading her on that you're her friend. You're just going to dump her at some point, aren't you?"

"I would not-"

"Aren't you? She's not worthy, that's what your sister said. She said you must be up to something. I heard her in Potions class." Narcissa, Andromeda thought. She had never approved of her friendship with Francis. Perhaps she had been making excuses about it to a friend and this boy had overheard.

"My sister does not know everything about me and it would seem you do not know everything about yours," she said softly but pointedly. "If you did you would not have been as surprised she was put in Slytherin," she added, taking a wild guess. Francis didn't talk much about her family. The boy's eyes narrowed. She had guessed correctly.

"Why would you want anything to do with her? She's not one of you."

"She's not one of you either."

"She might still be," he growled. "Let her be. Don't hurt her." He turned and marched away.

"Well, well," Narcissa said scooting down on the seat beside Andromeda.

"Look at who I found," Bellatrix said with a smirk.

"Why on earth were you talking to Frank Longbottom?" Narcissa asked. Andromeda cringed. There went her chance at denying she knew who Francis was if her parents asked over break. She knew they would not approve of her friendship, much the way Narcissa didn't. There had been the hope that she could claim ignorance. Apparently not.

"He wanted me to leave his sister alone."

"Well for once I agree with that overblown Gryffindor," Narcissa said daintily, looking with disapproval as Bellatrix slugged down a quarter of her butterbeer in one gulp. "You should leave her alone Andromeda."

"She won't have anyone in our house then."

"Exactly," Narcissa sighed as though Andromeda was being incredibly stupid.

"Well I don't think I should."

"I agree with Annie," Bellatrix said suddenly.

"You agree with her?" Narcissa asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I do. You're forgetting that there's always the element of choice, Cissy. That's what makes a blood-traitor as bad as a mud-blood. And that's what will redeem Francis Longbottom should she choose differently than her parents. Her blood is, after all, quite pure." Bellatarix watched her two sisters across from her with a satisfied look on her face.

"And what if she does not choose differently?" Narcissa asked.

"Without Andromeda to guide her, she never will choose differently at all." There was finality in Bellatrix's tone. The topic then changed until the three sisters had finished their drinks. Andromeda and Bellatrix left again through the door while Narcissa rejoined her friends.

"Do you really think Francis is alright?" Andromeda asked her sister as they walked down the street toward Zonko's.

"No, not yet. But I think she will bend to be like you so she will be. Cissy just does not realize how much that girl idolizes you."

"She doesn't idolize me, does she?"

"I think she does," Bellatrix said calmly. "After all, you treated her like she was something special. Not the easiest way to gain someone's respect but has often proven quite effective. Now did you arrive upon any ideas of what to get Cissy?"

That night after dinner, Andromeda sat in her dorm flicking her wand to wrap Christmas presents. Bellatrix was lying lazily on her sister's bed, her wild black hair hanging down over the side. "I have prefect duty tonight," Andromeda told her sister.

"Yeah, I remember," Bellatrix answered as she stretched her hands out in front of her, examining her hands. "Who with?"

"John, that Ravenclaw boy in my year."

"Oh." Bellatrix looked down at Andromeda's pile. "Hey there's one for me in here."

"No, that not for you. It's for my other sister named Bellatrix."

"Not her again."

"I know, I know, you don't like her but-"

"This imaginary friend business has gone on long enough Annie. It's time you realize that you're sixteen and imaginary friends are just not normal to have anymore."

"Just one more year before she leaves, Bella," Andromeda whined jokingly. "Just one more year."

"Fine, fine but if mother and father find out about this-"

"I won't tell if you won't," Andromeda agreed putting the last of the presents on her stack, most of which she was taking home. She got to her feet and looked at her watch. "I'd better get going."

"Bye then Annie. Is the other Bella coming with you?"

"Of course," Andromeda laughed, heading out of the dorm. She walked to Professor McGonagall's office to wait for John. A second later she growled under her breath when she saw a blonde boy walking toward her.

"What are you doing here?"

"John got himself trapped in a vanishing stair earlier. He tried to explode the stair to set himself free and ended up exploding his leg. He's in the hospital wing growing it back," Tonks responded factually.

"I hope he recovers soon," Dumbledore said, suddenly appearing at the end of the hallway. Andromeda jumped. That man was so odd. "Minerva is tied up with a student of hers. I assume you are John's replacement Ted?"

"Yes sir."

"Well I also assume you both know what to do so get to it. I will see you later before you go to your own beds." The two of them nodded and then headed in the opposite direction of the hallway.

"You still have dirt on you nose," Andromeda told him in a low voice.

"You know what, shut it," he told her harshly.

"Don't tell me-"

"I will if I need to so I suggest you listen!"

"I suggest that you not tell me to shut-it! What is wrong with you anyway?" she growled.

"You wouldn't care if I told you!"

"You don't know whether I would or would not. You don't even know me," she glowered.

"I know you wouldn't!"

"Try me," she said darkly.

He looked about to bite back but then sighed. "My sister was in a car crash. She's not doing well. I just heard today so I'm not in a good mood, got it?"

Andromeda paused letting them walk along in silence for a few moments. "What is a car?" she asked quietly into the sudden calmness.

"A muggle transportation thing. They use it to go places faster than walking. Sometimes they crash into each other."

"Like when two people try and Floo to the same place at the same time?"

"Yes," he answered shortly. "Only they're in these big things made of metal that help them go faster and also can hurt them when they run into each other."

"Oh." Andromeda watched him as they went down the hallway. She now had an idea in her head what a car was; she had seen them before. Tonks's head was hung low. "I am sorry," she said softly. He looked up at her.

"About what?"

"Your sister. I'm sorry she was hurt."

"Thank you." Andromeda nodded and they went along in silence up to the Astronomy tower to start their rounds again. There was no race hurrying ahead of each other this time, no sarcasm, no anything. The stillness was stiff between them. As their legs began to tire of the climb up the spiral stairs they paused to rest. She looked over at him, at the smudge of dirt on his nose again. He raised his hand to scratch it and she could see the tips of his fingernails were black with dirt.

"I like Herbology," he said suddenly. She nearly blushed as she realized that he had noticed her looking at him. "That's why I'm always covered in dirt."

"You could shower," she informed him.

"I'm well aware of that. But I shower in the morning."

"At least you could wipe your nose off."

"Why bother?"

"Because it is there on your nose," she told him as they began to walk again. "And under your nails, and," she paused, squinting in the dim light that went up the curving staircase, "I think in your hair too." He snorted to himself.

"Still," he told her, "why bother?" She shook her head at him as the silence fell again. In a few moments they reached the Astronomy Tower only to find that a class was in progress. They headed down the stairs again. The rest of their patrol was spent in silence except for brief moments of suggesting where to go or actually talking to other students. After an hour they began to head towards Professor McGonagall's office again in a round-about fashion. Andromeda looked over again at her partner. His head was down and he was biting his bottom lip. He was back to being worried.

Francis was sitting in the corner reading when Andromeda came in. Her grey eyes shot up immediately and she placed her book down, sprawled out on the correct page to head toward Andromeda. "I'm sorry about my brother," she said quietly, looking up at Andromeda in a docile, ashamed sort of way.

"Don't be," Andromeda told her. "He just cares about you."

"I gather he was rather a git today though," Francis insisted. "He's always rather been like that. He was- he was really hurt when I got put in Slytherin," she said softly so only Andromeda could hear.

Andromeda grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her back to her corner of the floor. She leaned down, bringing herself close to the girl's level. "Why are you in Slytherin anyway?" she whispered. "You don't belong here. You're not like them. You don't agree to all this pure-blood mania."

"Neither do you," Francis said, now lowering herself to sit cross legged in front of Andromeda.

"Who says I don't?"

"Nobody. I just thought- Andromeda you seem different."

"I'm- I'm no different at all," Andromeda told her. "I'm here aren't I? I had the choice to be in Ravenclaw and I chose to be here."

"See that's the difference between you and me. I chose Slytherin because I wanted to stand out against my family, you chose Slytherin because you want to hide from it." Francis yawned and got up. "I'm heading to bed I think." Andromeda stood up too and at the base of the stairs she pulled the girl's arm and looked at her.

"You're wrong. I chose Slytherin because I wanted to be with Bella. She's my best friend," she said quietly. Then she released Francis's arm and let her head up the stairs, following her with her eyes.

**Like? Hate? Wish you had some chocolate cake to eat? Well, you should review because I want to know about the first two and the third… well I don't much like chocolate cake so there may be some up for grabs.**


	6. Part 1: Chapter 5

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call, which is the song the part titles come from. It's a good song. You should go listen to it. Anyway…**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_December 1968_

A few days went by, inching closer to Christmas. Prefect patrols had become more common with many of the students all ready setting their mind in the holiday mode. Andromeda's mind had been sweltering over a homework assignment as she scrunched near the fire against the cold dungeon air. She'd needed to finish it by the next day and she had prefect duty that night. That was why she had ended up swapping nights with Cecile. The older girl had objected at first but Bella had agreed to help get her sister the night off. Having Bella behind her had made Cecile all the more persuadable. That was why the fifth year Slytherin found herself once again walking in silence with a seventh year Ravenclaw when she took her cousin's night.

They had started out quietly, somehow silently agreeing to walk toward the Astronomy tower first since they had the last two times they had patrolled together. Their footsteps echoed down the halls as they went. "How is your sister?" Andromeda asked, the words shocking both of them more than if Peeves had jumped up behind them and politely asked for a napkin.

Tonks's head shot around to look at her. He seemed to be trying to decipher some trick in her words. "She's- she's getting better, thankfully," he told her. "She's still in the hospital but they said she's doing-" his voice trailed off.

"Better?" Andromeda supplied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he nodded at her, "better."

"How did it happen anyway? I mean when you say the curs-"

"Cars."

"Right, the cars crashed do actually mean," she stopped and then decided the best way to show what she meant was to actually ram her hands together, making a loud clapping noise that echoed up the spiral staircase they were now beginning to walk up.

"Well, yes," Tonks told her. "See she was driving straight," he said, holding out one of his hands with his palm facing her and his thumb up, "and the guy who crashed into her was turning right." He turned his other hand so that the palm was facing him with the thumb up and it collided against the palm of his other hand. "It was right into where she was sitting to drive."

Andromeda started at his hands for a moment before he put them down. There was still dirt under all his fingernails. He put his hands down and looked at her, his eyes meeting hers for a moment. She noticed that his eyes were a very bright blue. The second quickly passed, leaving both of them staring awkwardly at the ground as they continued up the stairs. Ted pushed open the door as they got to the top allowing them both to walk through.

"Why do you care anyway?" he asked her softly. She looked up at him.

"I don't know," her voice said as honestly as if she had been given a truth serum. Their eyes met again, this time slightly less awkwardly. He seemed to search for something to tell him she really was okay; she was searching for something to tell her he wasn't. They seemed to be growing eerily close to a friendship and that would be bad. Andromeda broke the gaze, looking down and pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear. She needed to tell him. He needed to know that she had overstepped. She needed to bite at him, annoy him, make him think she hadn't meant anything she had said that bordered on concern, think it had all been a ruse. Her mouth opened when they heard an angry voice and a jet of light came pelting over in their direction. In shock Tonks grabbed her hand and yanked her down under the table where the teacher had students put their star charts. They sat underneath for a moment, watching the jets of light from a duel, trying to figure out who was fighting when Andromeda realized that Tonks still had her hand. She wrenched it from his grip, glaring over at him and he gave her a meek vaguely uncaring look.

"We should do something about them," he whispered.

"We don't even know who they are. I can't see them," Andromeda complained. Tonks bit his lip then pulled out his wand.

"Do you know the leg locker hex?" Tonks asked her.

"Of course I do," she scowled. "I am hardly-"

"Good, aim it at them. We only need to hit one of them before it will stop."

"Fine then," Andromeda growled, not liking Tonks telling her what to do. "Locomotor Mortis," she said, pointing her wand in the direction of the duelers. It took a few tries from both of them aiming in the dark before they hit one of them. They heard a clunk as one of them hit the ground and then they got up. Andromeda began heading toward the duelers while Tonks lit the lamps by lighting one and then charming the fire to bounce around the room to the other fixtures on the wall.

"Lucius, what are you doing?" Andromeda asked as she bent down next to the fourth year. He was struggling to get up with his legs bound together. She looked up and glared at the boy in front of him. The other boy was older, probably a seventh year like Bella and Tonks. His hair was a bright fiery red and his blue eyes were pointedly looking at the ceiling as he twirled his wand.

"Arthur aren't you supposed to be a prefect not the one dueling?" Tonks asked coming over.

"Hello Ted," the other boy laughed nervously, now looking down from the ceiling.

"Let me up, Andromeda," Lucius said. She grabbed his wand where it lay on the floor and shoved it in her pocket before releasing him. He grunted as he got to his feet glaring at the boy across from him.

"What was going on?" she asked him.

"He," Lucius said, pointing at the redhead, "came up to the Astronomy Tower for no good reason while I was waiting up here and then tried to get me out of here by cursing me."

"I gave him detention first but he appeared to want to stay up here even with the threat of further detentions."

"You gave me more of a challenge than a warning," Malfoy bit at him.

"You called-"

"Stop it both of you!" Andromeda said loudly. Malfoy glowered but agreed and the redhead seemed shocked just to hear her talk in his direction. "Why were either of you up here in the first place? It's after curfew and-" Andromeda heard the door open and saw a flash of blonde hair as it closed again. She sighed. "Cissy, please get back here." The door opened again as the third year stepped out and crossed the room to stand next to her sister.

"Lucius asked me to meet him here. He wanted to talk," she said in a cool soft voice. Andromeda lightly squeezed her sister's hand and Narcissa slid closer to her side as they released grasps.

"Why'd you ask a third year to meet you here, Malfoy?" Tonks asked.

"That's none of your business, mud-blood!" Malfoy answered, Andromeda and Narcissa both glaring at Tonks.

"Don't use language like that," the redhead shot at Malfoy.

"You're in as much trouble as he is, prefect or not so I'd keep quiet!" Andromeda told the boy.

"Stop it!" came yet another voice. A girl came marching up to them. In their arguing no one had heard the door open.

"What are you doing here Molly?" the redhead asked her.

"Jacob told me he couldn't meet you since the Quidditch team is having some meeting to work out practice times after break." She rolled her eyes. "They seem to want to practice in the snow and cold. I told Jacob I'd go and find you to tell you he couldn't make it."

"But you could have gotten in trouble," he said at the same time Lucius began stammering on again, trying to defend his being there. "You shouldn't be-"

"All right shut-it!" Andromeda yelped. Silence came again.

"You both know dueling against the rules so you're both going to have detention," Tonks told the two boys, looking up at the redhead who was taller than he was and then down at Lucius who was shorter.

"You were dueling?" the girl asked the redhead.

"Well he-"

"And you two can either go right back to your common rooms or I'll get the first Professor I meet to take points away from your houses!" Andromeda said, turning to her sister and the other girl.

"But Annie," Cissy began. "I-"

"You shouldn't be out of bed Cissy."

"Bella does."

"And Bella gets in trouble for it."

"You'd never threaten to take points from Bella!" Narcissa stormed and began marching down the stairs. Lucius shrugged and followed after her after retrieving his wand from Andromeda.

"Why were you dueling with a fourth year?" the girl asked the redhead, her eyes narrowing.

"I have my reasons," he answered starting for the door. The girl followed after him, beginning to argue. He opened the door and let her pass courteously which seemed to cool her down a bit but Andromeda could still hear voices going down the stairs. She looked over at Tonks. He was shaking his head looking confused. Despite herself, Andromeda began to laugh. The blonde boy started laughing too until they were both laughing only because the laughter of the other was so infectious. Slowly then began to regain control. Andromeda became aware that he was looking at her.

"You're pretty when you smile," he told her. Andromeda put on her best glare, the haughty one that made her look exactly like Bellatrix, and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. Tonks shrugged at her facial expression and then pointed at the stairs. "Shall we go?"

"We'd best," she replied. He nodded and together they headed toward the door.

"So the blonde one, she's your little sister, right?"

"Yes."

"And then the older one is Bellatrix Black. Everyone knows she's your sister."

"Yes," Andromeda answered suspiciously as they headed down the staircase. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm trying to make conversation," he bit back at her, smiling to himself, or maybe at her too. "Do you have any more siblings?"

"No," Andromeda answered shortly, trotting quickly down the hallway.

Tonks chuckled, lengthening his stride to keep up with her. "I've got four. Marianne's oldest. Then Robert and Lisa is right inbetween Robert and me. Kitty's the youngest."

"Okay then," Andromeda agreed, trying to go back to ignoring him.

"Marianne's the one who was in the car crash. She's got two little boys, my nephews, they're three and one."

"Oh."

"Robert's married too."

"Do you ever stop?" she asked, rolling her eyes at him.

"No, not really," he answered. Andromeda glared at him but he didn't seem to mind. She settled instead for walking more rapidly to get ahead of him. He didn't seem to care again, just hurried to get beside her, not in front of her, beside her. "He's got a little girl."

"Who does?" she asked before remembering that she didn't care.

"Robert," Ted said, grinning. He knew he had caught her. "She's only a baby, not even a year old." Andromeda sighed, trying to indicate that she wanted him to shut-up. All she achieved, was making him smirk again as he kept on rambling. Stupid boy. She thought about chewing him out but then decided that would take too long. Instead she turned half an ear on him and spent the rest of her brain capacity wondering what she was going to do in Charms the next day.

"You look happy," Bella said when Andromeda entered the common room. "Well, happier than I expected since you were with Tonks again. I thought I'd have to talk you down and plot revenge with you again. Did you hex that mud-blood?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, no," Andromeda lied quickly, "I saw Professor Slughorn on my way here. Apparently my Confudling Solution is coming along nicely and I've been having such trouble with it."

"The strangest things make you happy, Annie." Andromeda merely grinned at her sister.

"Lucius Malfoy was waiting in the Astronomy Tower for Cissy," Andromeda told her. Bellatrix scooted a second year out of a chair by the fire and sat down. Andromeda sat on the ledge of the fire next to her. The second year pouted but headed up to his dormitory, not daring to cross Bellatrix.

"Was he?"

"Yes. When we got up there, we found him dueling with a seventh year. A redhead, do you know him?"

"Tall, gangly looking thing?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes narrowing in disgust.

"That would be the one."

"That boy is not even suited to clean your shoes, Annie. That would be Arthur Weasley. He's as good as following his parents as it's ever possible to say."

"Meaning?"

"Surely you could ask your friend Francis couldn't you?" Bellatrix asked coolly. "It would be her aunt after all."

"Bella, you know you've spent much more time pondering the family tree with Aunt Walburga than I have. I have more of a tendency to watch living relatives than memorize the names of those on a tree, most of whom are dead." Bellatrix laughed.

"You're awfully naïve sometimes. Do you know how many people claim they are part of the family but actually aren't? They are of common blood, mixed blood having gone directly to the muggles somewhere in their line."

"What does that matter to my life anyway?"

"None at all. I'll take care of you Annie. I'll protect you from others' deceit. In return, you can take care of any children I have so that I don't harm them in my quest for truth."

"You'd have to find a guy you think is worthy of you first. And I highly doubt that'll happen anytime soon."

"Worthy, yes I've found. But I highly doubt he will father any child of mine." Bellatrix smiled again. "No I might have to settle. After all, you'll have to too, won't you?" Andromeda looked down. It didn't matter. Her sister was not waiting for an answer. She already knew that Andromeda would have to give up her dream for the "Toujours Pur" gain. They'd both known since that summer Andromeda was thirteen. "Anyway, since you probably won't ask Francis, or the kid won't remember, Arthur Weasley's mother was Cedrella. She married Septimus Weasley. He was an advocate for muggle-rights, the one who opposed Araminta Meliflua so strongly."

"Who?"

"Honestly, Annie, you ought to come and listen to Aunt Walburga try and explain it to Sirius and Regulus sometime. You're as hopeless as they are. No, I take that back. You are even more hopeless."

"But you've said it yourself. I'll never need to know," Andromeda reminded smugly. Bellatrix smiled. Feeling her back beginning to roast, Andromeda got up from the ledge of the fireplace and scooted into the chair with Bellatrix.

"Get off me!" she laughed at her younger sister.

"You know you're cold and I'm nice and warm. And I want a more comfortable place to sit. So both of us benefit." Bellatrix laughed again, her grey eyes flickering. She scooted over in the chair so both of them could squeeze on the seat and put her arm over her sister's shoulder.

"You know I was right. I'll take care of you and you'll take care of me."

"I already acknowledged it," Andromeda told her, leaning her head down on Bellatrix's shoulder. "We're sisters after all."

**Once again, please review. I like reviews. They make me happy! I mean not completely singing off of mountain tops happy but then again, there's no mountains around here so I've never had the opportunity to sing off a mountain top.**


	7. Part 1: Chapter 6

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. Or the song The Call, which is the song the part titles come from. It's a good song. You should go listen to it. Anyway…**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_December 1968_

"Annie!" came a squeal as a little boy with black hair came racing across the room. Andromeda opened her arms and scooped him up. His legs came around her waist as she spun him in a circle before setting him back down on the ground.

"Hi Regulus," she laughed looking at him as she set him down. He smiled.

"I'm too big for you to spin, Annie," Sirius said proudly. "I'm a whole four and a half feet now. I'm almost as tall as you are," he boasted.

"Oh really?" Andromeda asked, looking down at him.

"Well maybe not quite yet. But I am tall!" he protested. Andromeda opened her mouth to assure him that for a boy of eight, four and a half feet was very tall when she heard Narcissa's name being called from the den. With a brief apologetic grin, she left her two younger cousins in the hall to go answer the summons. Bellatrix followed behind her and she saw Narcissa peeking around the stairs when she reached the doorway. All three sisters entered to find themselves in front of Aunt Walburga and their mother, both of whom were sitting on a loveseat in the middle of a room, the back leaned against a tall, thin-legged table.

"Come, sit down Narcissa," their aunt instructed motioning to the seat between the pair of adults. Bellatrix leaned against the wall and Andromeda walked near it, lightly touching one stocking-ed foot to the wall as she balanced on one leg. Narcissa walked to the loveseat and flattened the back of her robes as she sat down.

"What is it Aunt Walburga?" she asked politely. Gently the woman smiled.

"We have found you a match," she said proudly.

"But I'm barely fourteen," Narcissa replied, her eyes wide. "And I'm hardly seen as very strong."

"You are a very pretty girl of fourteen, Narcissa," her mother said, smiling at her youngest daughter. "This is actually your second offer but we thought it was best to expand our horizons. Rabastan Lestrange was the first."

"May I ask, Mother, who this one is?" Narcissa questioned. Andromeda heard Bellatrix snort very quietly at Narcissa's tone.

"Lucius Malfoy," her aunt answered. "Not perhaps quite as worthy in blood as a Lestrange-"

"But more wealthy, better able to take care of her," her mother interrupted. "He is nearly as pure and-"

"I should not care if there was no money at all in the matter if he could trace his descendents to the Peverells!"

"I do care however, as it is my daughter who will be living in his manner. It's not as if he has muggles in his direct line. He could very well be just as pure as the Lestranges; they just haven't traced as far back." Suddenly the two adults seemed to realize that the three sisters were still present. "You may go now Narcissa. This matter may be discussed further with your father at a later time." The blonde girl nodded and got to her feet; Andromeda and Bellatrix followed.

"Are you happy Cissy?" Bellatrix asked her as soon as they were out of the room.

"I was when I first found out. I did not know it caused Aunt Walburga discomfort," Narcissa answered.

"Does it make you unhappy then?" Andromeda asked.

"No. I rather like him. He can be presumptuous but I believe he's looking out for the best interests."

"Whose best interests?" Andromeda asked. Both her sisters shook their heads at her.

"Ours," Bellatrix answered. "Our place in the world, not only the wizarding world but among everyone. We've been hiding in the shadows because the mud-blood filled ministry has told us to for far too long." Her eyes fixed on Andromeda's. "That's what he's told me. And he's willing to do something about it."

"You've spoken to him? Well I suppose so," Narcissa said, looking up at her older sister. "He tried to talk to me in the Astronomy tower when we both were fairly sure of the engagement but that Weasley boy ruined it," she continued.

"Of course I have. He's an annoying fourth year but as you are engaged to him I'll try and curb my temper," Bellatrix replied to Narcissa with a smile. Andromeda broke her gaze with Bellatrix. It did not seem to her that her sister had been talking about Lucius Malfoy.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked as he came around the corner. Regulus was following after him.

"Narcissa's going to be married," Andromeda told him.

"Oh," Sirius answered. Regulus walked forward and grabbed a hold of Andromeda's hand.

"I wanna show you something," he told her quietly, pulling her toward the stairs.

"Yeah, me too," Sirius said, scurrying ahead of his brother and his cousin. Bellatrix laughed.

"I'll see you later Annie. You look somewhat tied up." Andromeda rolled her eyes as her two sisters headed toward the dining room. Her attention then turned to her younger cousins. She followed them up the stairs.

"He's in my room I think," Sirius informed her. He walked up to a door that had his name on a small plate in front of it. Regulus let go of her hand and pushed the door open. She walked in as Sirius bent down on the ground besides a small brown puppy that was dashing all around. Andromeda sank down on Sirius's wide bed as the two boys sat down on the rug, playing with the small dog.

"We got him early for Christmas," Sirius said proudly. "He belongs to both of us."

"What's his name?" Andromeda asked as the puppy launched itself at the bed next to her, its brown eyes excited by the attention he was getting. Regulus followed the puppy's example and jumped on to Sirius's bed, giggling as the puppy jumped into Andromeda's lap and began licking her face as if she had left hamburger residue all over it.

"Spot," Sirius said with a small laugh. Andromeda looked at the dog as best she could while it was licking her face. The dog looked completely brown, not a spot on it. Both Regulus and Sirius were grinning. Apparently they found Spot a very amusing name for this dog. Losing interest in Andromeda, the puppy jumped off her lap and pounced on Regulus, who giggled as the dog began cleaning his face the same as he had done Andromeda's.

"How'd you come up with Spot?" Andromeda asked Sirius.

He shrugged. "We just liked it," he told her. The dog jumped down by Sirius who began to play with the dog, tumbling it over on its belly and scratching at its ears. "When's Cissy getting married?" Sirius asked.

"I'd assume after she graduates," Andromeda answered as she pulled Regulus into her lap and lightly tickled his stomach. He giggled and tried to squirm away.

"When's that?"

"A bit over four years."

"Are you gonna get married Annie?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to do that?" Regulus asked, looking up at her. He stopped squirming. Andromeda bit her lip. She didn't really know how to explain to her younger cousin that she only wanted to marry him because her family needed her to. Fortunately she was spared from answering as the doorbell rang through the house.

"Maybe it's Uncle Alphard!" Sirius yelped as he stood up. The puppy barked happily at the excitement as Regulus slid from Andromeda's lap and scurried after his brother. Andromeda followed after them, careful to close the door so the puppy wouldn't get out. Sirius and Regulus were scrabbling down the stairs and she hurried after them. Uncle Alphard was a favorite of all of them. He had never been married but he loved kids. "Most girls are just too much trouble Annie," he had laughingly told her one time when she was about Sirius's age. Back then she had found him astounding. He always remembered to carry chocolate frogs in his pockets for Bellatrix, sugar quills for Narcissa, and licorice wands for her. Now, at the foot of the stairs she saw Sirius stiffen until Regulus ran into him.

"Sorry," she heard Regulus mutter as Andromeda walked down the rest of the stairs and sat down on the one three from the bottom. Regulus sat down beside her while Sirius peered around as he stood a step below.

"It's our grandparents," he whispered back to Andromeda and his brother. "They haven't noticed us-"

"Sirius, Regulus!" Sirius's mother called. The little boy flinched and motioned to his little brother before heading down the last of the stairs and into the hall.

"Andromeda!" she heard her father call. Sighing she got to her feet. Regulus slipped his small hand into hers as they walked into the den again. Inside a pair of witches in their fifties sat on the couch. A man of around the same age was sitting in a chair near them. Narcissa was sitting on the couch beside their grandmother, her hands in her lap and her back straight. Bellatrix was standing by the wall near Aunt Walburga. The sisters' parents were sitting by the fire along with Sirius's father.

"There they are mother," Andromeda heard her father say. His eyes focused on hers as if questioning why she was late. She looked away, trying not to answer. She felt the scrutinizing gaze of her grandmother over her body as she let go of Regulus's hand and he slid over to his mother's side. Sirius stayed in front of Andromeda and she slipped her hands onto his shoulders. Andromeda looked back at the couch where her grandmother and great-aunt were.

"Hello," she greeted quietly.

"Happy Christmas," Sirius added. Andromeda squeezed his right shoulder with her hand.

"What were you three up to?" she asked her granddaughter.

"We were upstairs-" Sirius began brightly but Andromeda interrupted.

"Sirius and Regulus were upstairs. They were showing me their early Christmas gift. They thought I might find it of interest, Grandmother," she said calmly.

"Is that so?" she asked rhetorically, her eyes shifting over to Regulus. Andromeda felt Sirius twitch now that his examination was apparently over for the time being. She gave his shoulder another squeeze as Regulus was questioned about his schoolwork. Their grandmother then fell into conversation with her sister who sat beside her. At a nod from her father and aunt, Andromeda left the room with her younger cousins. Bellatrix followed. She began giggling in the hall.

"It's really quite disturbing when you do that," Andromeda told her. "You shouldn't giggle."

"Grandmother makes me. She's so old-fashioned."

"Please don't tell me you're going to criticize the fashion of her robes. We already have Narcissa."

"Not that. Before you came in she was talking of Grindelwald and his 'For the Greater Good.'"

"What about it?" Andromeda asked. They were following Sirius and Regulus into the kitchen. Regulus slipped around a counter as they entered the room and began talking with the house elf. She got the feeling it was more the small boys' stomachs that had led them in here. "She's talked about Grindelwald before. After all she was in her thirties when he was taking power over in-"

"But she was talking about him having the right idea. She seemed to think he had everything right that he was-"

"The bees-knees?" Andromeda said. Sirius gave her a funny look over his sandwich.

Bellatrix laughed. "The bees-knees, Annie?"

"I heard it somewhere," Andromeda answered, trying to figure out where she'd heard the phrase. She'd remembered thinking it was a funny little quote and that her cousins might like it. Especially since Sirius had a fascination with bees.

"Do bees have knees?" Regulus asked as he tried to pull back a heavy chair one handed as he balanced a plate with a sandwich on it. Sirius reached over and helped him.

"I think so," Andromeda answered. "Do they, Bella?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. But he wasn't 'the bees-knees', Annie. Grindelwald was better, surely than most people now but he imprisoned the problem when he could have terminated it."

"He killed people too Bella," Andromeda said quietly, hoping Sirius and Regulus wouldn't hear. Unfortunately the two young boys were listening very intently.

"But Nurmengard hardly lay empty," she insisted. "He would make sure Nurmengard was used for people who had information not those who were not participating," she stated.

"Who?" Sirius asked curiously. Andromeda looked down at the table, knowing Bellatrix would not answer, not directly.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, please, Sirius. You'll scare all the girls who aren't Bella and me," she told him."

"I don't care about all the girls. I care about the sandwich," he insisted, but swallowed before saying it anyway. "You want some?"

"No thank you Siri."

"You want some of mine?" Regulus asked. "I don't have tomatoes."

"Tomatoes are good," Sirius told him.

"No way!" Regulus replied with a wrinkled nose.

"Yeah-huh."

"Na-uh

"Yeah-huh."

"Na-uh."

"Yeah-"

"Stop," Andromeda told them. She took a seat next to Sirius as the boy shrugged and returned to eating. She could hear voices still coming from the den mixed in with the sound of Regulus swinging his legs against the rungs of his chair. Bellatrix was running her hand absently along the counter while walking along before stopping and leaning against it her head propped on her elbows. A moment later, Narcissa came sweeping into the room and gracefully jumped up onto the table, crossing her legs at the ankles as her legs dangled over the edge.

"You managed to escape?" Bellatrix asked her. "You should have left when we did."

"It's harder when you're sitting down next to them," Narcissa said simply.

"Annie, I want to go play with Spot again," Regulus declared suddenly, bored with sitting still. He hopped down from his chair.

"Wait up a second," Sirius said, shoving a final bite of his sandwich in his mouth before getting up himself. He needn't have bothered so much. Regulus was determinedly yanking on Andromeda's hand to get her up.

"You're just going to let them climb all over you like that?" Narcissa asked in disgust.

"Of course not," Andromeda said with a smile as she got to her feet. Bellatrix raised an eyebrow as she stood up straight again. Andromeda leaned forward and whispered in Regulus's ear. He shook his head, wide eyed so Andromeda sighed and whispered the same thing to Sirius. Sirius took off across the room and soared onto the table, next to Narcissa, causing her to lose her balance and nearly fall off the table, her legs and arms splaying in an unladylike manner. She squealed before the two little boys scurried off, Sirius giggling. Andromeda took long strides away from the room, a smirk on her face as Bellatrix snorted and more slowly followed.

"You set them up for that," Narcissa growled, as she stood up and began straightening her robes and hair again. Andromeda paused to let Bellatrix catch up and the two snorted together. Regulus and Sirius were waiting impatiently on the stairs for them. As soon as Andromeda's foot touched the first stair the two boys rocketed up, eager to escape completely from the adult world with their cousins in tow.

**I seem to like the month of December… I don't know. Dismiss me as odd if you will. Anyway, hope that you think I did an eight-year-old Sirius alright.**

**Does anyone else have a problem when they upload a document that there's a sentence that just appears at the top? In the beginning author's note for one story, I typed out something about how 'I should be working on another story but I wanted to write another one out' and now every time I post a new document, that sentence just kind of appears...**

**Reviews always appreciated!**


	8. Part 1: Chapter 7

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. This chapter is shorter and doesn't feature Ted or Sirius or Regulus (sorry to fluff lovers). In fact, I guess this chapter is the most angst-y so far. So you may want to go find a wall for your wizard angst. He, he, I love Potter Puppet Pals! Um, right, story…**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_January 1969_

"They're acting as if the O.W.L.'s are tomorrow," Andromeda sighed in a fit of frustration. She tossed her book aside and hunched down against the table in the library. Francis grinned over at her.

"Did McGonagall give you a lot of homework again?" she asked calmly.

"McGonagall and Slughorn," she sighed with annoyance. "There simply aren't enough hours in the day."

"Do you have prefect duty tonight?"

"Thankfully, no. But I do need a break from this," she added, rolling up her scroll.

"Will you help me with mine then? I'm having trouble remembering all of Saturn's moons." Andromeda walked over to her friend's side and bent down on her knees looking at the star chart.

"It looks like you've got them right."

"Of course I do. I got them from the book. My problem is memorizing all of them."

"Okay, I'll review them with you," Andromeda agreed slipping into a chair next to Francis and pulled her Astronomy book toward her. "Which two moons are located around the F ring-"

"Annie," someone came breathlessly as she came dashing across the library.

"What's wrong Cissy?"

"It's Bella," she answered, tugging on her sister's arm to get her to stand up. Shoving the book back at Francis she waved half-heartedly and hurried after Narcissa. Francis stayed behind in the library, watching them go.

"Where is she? What happened?" Andromeda asked as they hurried along.

"I don't know what happened," Narcissa said in a frightened voice. "I was walking down on the grounds to go meet one of my friends and I saw her. She was crying Annie," Narcissa added worriedly. "Bella never cries and-"

"I know," Andromeda agreed, allowing Narcissa to stop talking. The two sisters moved quickly, Narcissa slightly taking the lead. They slipped through the people in the hall who were wrapped up in their world or waiting for someone else. Andromeda helped Narcissa push open the thick front doors leading into the blustery January evening. They walked along the wall of the castle, the snow making the ends of Andromeda's robes all wet. Narcissa slid sharply around a corner and into a divot in the wall almost hidden by bushes.

"Bella what's wrong?" she asked, crouching down and balancing on her feet beside her older sister. Andromeda skidded down next to the pair, the knees of her robes becoming soaked and dirty on contact with the cold ground. Narcissa gave her a fleeting look of disgust.

"Nothing," Bella said softly, trying to be gruff but tear stains lined her face.

"Bella come on, you can tell us," Narcissa said soothingly, reaching forward and pulling back her sister's hair to see her face. "We'll help. You know we will."

"I don't need help, Cissy," Bellatrix answered and slowly began to get to her feet. "See, I'm fine."

"Bella," Narcissa began but then seemed to rethink what she was going to say and drew quiet.

"Let's go inside," Andromeda said quickly.

"I don't need to-" Bellatrix began.

"I want to," Andromeda interrupted quickly. "And I'm sure Cissy does too since neither of us have our cloaks on, but we don't want to go in without you." Bellatrix nodded and the three girls made their way back to the castle in silence. They headed down into the dungeons where Andromeda let both her sisters in. They went up to Bellatrix's dormitory where a fire was lit but her dorm mates were out. Narcissa sat on the hearth while Bellatrix changed her robes and Andromeda dried her own with a swish of her wand.

"Were you off of the grounds again?" Andromeda asked her older sister. Very faintly she saw Bellatrix nod before pulling a new set of robes over her head.

"Was it that person?" she asked, studying the back of her sister's head as Bellatrix stood with her back to her, clasping a few of the buttons that had come undone since the last time she had worn that set of robes.

"Cissy go," Bellatrix said suddenly.

"You know I won't tell anything important," Narcissa said plainly as she stayed where she was, staring into the fire.

"But you don't need to hear any of this. You'll hear it in good time."

"And Annie won't?" Narcissa pointed out, now looking up at Bellatrix.

"Annie needs to know something now," she answered. Sighing Narcissa got to her feet and marched out of the room making no secret of her discontent as she left them alone together. "Make sure she's really gone," Bellatrix instructed.

"You're the one who wants her gone. You check," Andromeda replied halfheartedly as she sat down on Bellatrix's bed. Her sister sat down next to her.

"I've crossed the line now Annie," she said quietly.

"What line?" she asked, trying to sound disinterested. If Bellatrix thought she was too curious she would dangle the information in front of her like a feather in front of a cat. Bellatrix lay back on her bed, her eyes closed.

"I've killed someone," she said darkly after a moment. Andromeda spun around and leaned across the bed to center her face over Bellatrix's.

"You can't have," she said in a desperate whisper.

"It- it was only a muggle," Bellatrix answered. "An old one, too nosy. She- she got in the way and he told me- told me to. Said it would prove- it would show that I could." She finally opened her eyes and began to sit up. Andromeda leaned back but Bellatrix's gaze did not change. She was staring intently at the at the ceiling.

"I killed her Annie," she said softly, fingering her wand that she had laid on her bed when she changed robes. Andromeda shook as she eyed the piece of walnut and dragon heartstring, the murder weapon.

"Why?" she asked, unbelievingly.

"Because he told me to. It was- it was only a mug-muggle," Bellatrix said. Tears were beginning to come down her face. "Avery, he- he said the f-first time is the hardest. It won't be so hard n-next time," she said giving a hoarse sob and turning to lie in the other direction, her face buried in the pillow. Andromeda grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

"You don't mean to do it again do you, Bella?" she asked quickly. "Tell me you don't. Please tell me you don't."

"It was only a muggle. I shouldn't feel like this. But that power. And I felt so- so- I've never felt like that before. I'm not sure if I liked it or not and-"

"Tell me you won't do it again!" Andromeda said harshly, giving her sister a slight shake by the shoulders. It seemed to draw Bellatrix's attention back to her younger sister. Her eyes for the first time became focused as if just noticing that Andromeda was there.

"If he asks me to, I will," she said firmly. "It was only a muggle. She won't- she won't matter to the cause."

"But if she doesn't matter than why not leave her alone?" Annie asked harshly. "There's no point in senseless killing! It doesn't- it wouldn't have hurt your cause to let her live, scum though she may be!" Suddenly she burst out in her own tears and stormed out of the room. She heard Bellatrix calling out behind her but she ignored the summons and went down the hall with her head bent until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Annie," Bellatrix said, looking at her sister. Andromeda looked up at her.

"For what?" she asked harshly.

"I forgot that you're like Grindelwald. You only see the greater good. I'm working for the greatest good."

"Is there a difference?"

"Entirely," Bellatrix sighed. "But I wouldn't expect you to fully understand." She forced a smile at her sister. "I don't think I'd want you to. You're innocent still. I want you to stay that way." She brushed at one of Andromeda's tears and then began retreating down the hallway.

"What about you?" Andromeda inquired of her back.

"Doesn't tonight prove I'm no longer innocent?" she asked as she paused in the hallway.

"I wish it didn't," Andromeda muttered to herself as she began walk away. Neither of them spoke another word but tears streamed down both their faces. An old muggle woman now sat between the two sisters and no matter how hard they tried to get around her, she would not budge.

**Ah, what has happened to people? I've gotten more people adding this story on their alerts but only one review last chapter? Did I do something wrong that lost you all? I'm sorry if I did and I wish they had/would tell me what's going on so I can improve it. Okay, review rant done. **

**Ted's in the next chapter although he and Andromeda start fighting like Sirius and Regulus if anyone's interested.**


	9. Part 1: Chapter 8

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_February 1969_

"What's wrong with you?"

"That I have you as a partner again," Andromeda hissed.

"Oh, now break my heart again, why don't you," he replied sarcastically. "I'm sorry your cousin is such a sleaze bag that she had to back out of prefect duty for a guy again."

"What about you?" she answered gruffly. "You're somehow or another filling in for a seventh year Slytherin."

"Ah, actually I'm filling in for a Hufflepuff. Your cousin traded with a Hufflepuff girl before and then backed out."

"Whatever," Andromeda grunted, staring forward and marching down the hall.

"You still didn't answer my question. What's wrong?" Tonks asked again, trotting off behind her.

"I did answer."

"Sure, you still have a problem with me. You've had prefect duty with me for, what, six, seven times now-"

"Eight times of wishing I could force feed you the Draught of Living Death so you'd shut up," she barked at him. He raised an eyebrow and nearly laughed.

"So I can hardly be your only problem anymore," he continued. She looked up at him as they reached a fork in the hallway. He had a smirk on his face and was clearly waiting for an answer.

"Fine, you're right. There's something else. I'm going left," she told him and turned in that direction. He hurried after her.

"And you're not going to tell me what?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's none of your business."

"What if I make it my business?"

"It wouldn't be," she bit back. He jumped ahead of her.

"Won't let you pass until you tell me what's wrong," he said, blocking off the narrow hallway. Andromeda crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at the ceiling. "Oh she won't tell, will she?" he asked himself with a cackle in his voice. He paced back and forth in the hallway in front of her. "Will she even give me a hint?" he inquired.

"Not one," she replied.

"Well at least she's talking to me," he retorted. Andromeda made a sound that generally sounded like a "humph" and went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Ms. Andromeda Black with her nose in the air. One day it just went and stuck up there. And oh you might say that it's not fair but for Ms. Andromeda Black, it was all she could bare," he said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh shut-up," she growled.

"That's the best you can think of?" he asked. "Shut-up?" She glared at him but he smirked back. She had a sudden remembrance of Sirius with a very similar look on his face when he'd pulled off a particularly good prank. Suddenly she felt tired. For the past month Bellatrix's confession had been weighing on her heavily, separating her from her best friend since birth. Now as she stared into a good natured face, the face of someone she knew shouldn't be here but also the face of someone she knew didn't deserve to die for something like the "greatest good", she felt worn out. The burden she had been carrying around dropped, killing her spike of energy. She made a last ditch attempt.

"Please shut-up Theodore," she said quietly. Tonks looked startled. He stopped blocking the hallway and began walking beside her.

"Ted," he said suddenly.

"What?" she asked.

"My name's Ted. Nobody calls me Theodore."

"Ted," Andromeda acknowledged with a nod. She looked over at him. "You seem like more of a Ted than a Theodore."

"I agree," he nodded.

"My family calls me Annie," she told him after a moment.

"You seem far too regal for that." She snorted darkly. That had been her parents' intent with her given name after all.

"Andromeda doesn't fit either though," he added.

"It does too. It's my name," she said simply.

"No, not if you look at the meaning of the name."

"I'm not supposed to be anything more than a girl who's rescued," she told him. "I'm not supposed to be anything other than part of someone else's story. Bella will be her own story though," she said, her heart plummeting again as she remembered her sister's crime.

"Why?"

"Because that's the way things are. Bella's the warrior, Cissy's gliding above it all, and I'm waiting to be married to a 'hero'."

"But you don't want to."

"I didn't say that."

"But you don't want to," he repeated knowingly. She gazed out a window onto the dark grounds and felt his gaze on her face. Slowly she shook her head. He drew quiet and waited for more.

"I want to be a healer," she said quietly after a few moments.

"Like at St. Mungo's?"

"Yeah. I'd like to work at undoing hexes or poisons or something like that."

"Something that's a challenge," he stated.

"How do you know?"

"You're a Ravenclaw at heart, I can feel it," he answered, patting his hand against his chest where his heart was. "You need mental stimulation. Do they have jobs like that?"

"Of course they do," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well I wouldn't know. That's really the only difference between muggle-borns and the rest of you. We don't know things about the wizarding world that you just accept as common."

"That's not the only difference."

"Oh really, name one more," he challenged.

"Your blood's different," she answered in a cool tone.

"Next time I get a cut I'll show you its not," he retorted.

"You'll do no such thing!"

"Why not? Scared I'm right?"

"No, I don't want you searching me out the next time you have a paper cut."

"You ought to get used to all sorts of people if you want to be a healer. Lots of people come from different backgrounds than yours you know."

"Good thing I'll never get there then," she sneered.

"Why not?"

"I told you. Because that's the way things are."

"But you don't want to," he repeated again slowly as though she was a stupid student who could not grasp a key point.

Andromeda sighed. "No, I don't." There was finality to her tone that made him subside for a few minutes. A silence came over them and Andromeda found herself wishing it would go away. She liked fighting with the Ravenclaw boy. It was a strange thing to admit but it was true. When she was arguing with him she felt like laughing and being sassy. He didn't take offense easily or dismiss her behavior as part of being a snobby Black; he returned what she said in the same manner, often with a grin on his face.

"I like Herbology," he said suddenly.

"What?" she asked, blinking her way back towards comprehending his words.

"Herbology. I like it," he replied. "I want to do something with Herbology but I don't know what."

"You're in your seventh year!" she scolded.

"Yeah, so?" he asked lazily. She rolled her eyes in the dark. He still must have seen; he laughed.

"Do you have any idea?"

"Not really. I told you earlier. I don't know as many things about the wizarding world. I don't know what jobs are out there."

"Well that's a problem for you, isn't it?"

"Help me," he said.

"What?"

"You know the wizarding world. You've been in it all your life. You say you can't achieve your dream so be a good-sport and help me find mine."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because if I have a dream maybe I'll work towards it and leave you alone. I'll forget I have to show you my next paper cut."

"You won't forget."

"You're calling me a liar?"

"Yes I am," she replied persistently.

"Fine, I am a liar but I'm not a deceiver."

"I think lying by definition is deceiving."

"No, lying saying something false, often with the intent to deceive. I didn't manage to deceive anyone. You don't try to lie but you deceive almost everyone in some way, yourself included. With me what everyone sees it what everyone gets."

"I don't try and deceive anyone."

"Yes you do."

"I do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"To!"

"Not!"

"To!"

"No- Now look what you've done! You've reduced me to the arguing capacity of a five-year-old," she growled at him.

"I was putting it on your level."

Andromeda opened her mouth to argue with him and then an idea sparked in her head. "Rictusempra!" she said, pulling her wand from her pocket. Ted broke out into howls of laughter, bending over and clutching his sides.

"I call uncle!" he said breathlessly, trying to look at Andromeda between his howls. "White flag. Complete sur- Thank you," he said as she removed the hex.

"You're welcome," she said snobbishly as she began to glide down the hallway again. He raised an eyebrow at her and then reached into his pocket. She clutched her wand, eyeing him carefully as he twirled his in his fingers. She saw him open his mouth and edge closer. "Protego!" she yelped but it did little good. Ted dropped his wand back into his pocket and began tickling her with his hands.

"Stop it!" she squealed. "Stop, stop!" Her mouth broke into a large smile; her mind was racing, unable to keep a coherent thought.

"Say uncle!"

"Why," she panted, "uncle?"

"Or any form of surrender will do."

"Fine!" she yelped. "I declare you to be my Waterloo."

"Good girl, Napoleon," he laughed as he stopped. Her sides ached but a smile was on her face. Her thoughts began to come back though. He was a muggle-born, a mud-blood and she had just gotten into a tickling contest with him. She hadn't even gotten into a tickling contest with Bella in years. "Wait, how do you know about Napoleon?"

"Honestly, did you pay any attention during History of Magic?" she grunted at him, glaring in the dim light of the hallway as she tugged on her already unwrinkled robes. Mostly she was trying to keep the corners of her lips from turning up in a ghost of the laughter that had poured from her lips just moments ago. "There was more to his up rise than just the usual muggle story."

"Should have figured. Hey, we've only got ten minutes left. Want to start heading toward his office?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered and forced her mind to shut itself down for a few minutes.

"You know we really didn't actually do anything."

"Most prefects don't."

"You don't strike me as most prefects," he answered honestly.

"Is that good or bad? And remember that coming from you, I'll assume the opposite."

"Fine it's bad then," he grinned. "It makes you stand out."

"I don't want to."

"Face it. With those looks you do. No wonder you're bound to marry a 'hero'. Although it shouldn't have to be against your will."

"It has to be," she replied, brushing aside what she supposed was his idea of a compliment.

"They can't physically make you say yes," he said with a shrug. She didn't say anything. "So do you or don't you agree to help me?" he asked.

"Help you what?"

"Figure out what I want to do with my life."

"Fine I'll help you when I have prefect duty with you."

"Hm, but we never seem to get put together," he chuckled sarcastically.

"No, we don't."

"I think one of the teacher's is plotting something."

"Plotting what?"

"How should I know? It just seems suspicious. Maybe we should ask when we get to his office."

Andromeda paused. "Let's walk around once more before we go." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Just a loop to make sure things are secure. We can talk about you and Herbology or walk in silence. I'd really prefer the latter but the former will keep your mouth running so your head doesn't have to wake-up. After being asleep for the past eighteen years it would be too much of a shock."

"I'm only seventeen. My birthday's not for another month."

"Who said your brain was even awake in its fetal state?"

Later Andromeda headed down to the dungeons alone. Silently she slipped through the portrait hole into the common room. It was mostly empty except for a pair of sixth years struggling to finish a last minute assignment and Bellatrix who was sitting over by the stairs.

"I've been waiting for you," she said quietly.

"Why?" Andromeda asked harshly.

"You haven't been talking to me for the past month."

"I've been busy, that's all. I have O.W.L.'s coming up, as you well know and I intend to pass them better than you did," she said stubbornly. "I've talked to you sometimes."

"Only when necessary," Bellatrix chided. Andromeda looked away. "It's bothering you, isn't it Annie, bothering you a lot?" She looked up at her older sister. Her dark eyes seemed sad. Andromeda couldn't hold their gaze for long; she looked down at the floor.

"I don't understand-" she began.

"You wouldn't. Annie I wouldn't want you to. You're my Annie. You're my conscious."

"Apparently I'm not very good at it."

"You're better at it than anyone else."

"Everyone else must be completely awful and terrible because I'm an utter failure."

"No you're not. I knew what I was doing was wrong, Annie," she sighed, sitting down on the steps. Andromeda sat down beside her. "I knew it. I heard your voice in my head. But I had to override it Annie. Some things are more important."

"What's more important than life?"

"Living," she answered simply.

"But it's- Bella you could go to Azkaban," she hissed, checking that the sixth years weren't listening all the same. "How is that living?"

"It's striving to make the kind of living we need to have. Annie, this is for the best, you have to believe that. You know I wouldn't do something like this unless it was important."

"Who are you trying to convince?" she asked darkly.

"I've already convinced myself. I just need to bring you along with me."

"Bella, I love you. You're my sister, my confident, my best friend. But if you want me to say what you did was right, then as your conscience I resign," she told her and stood up to start up the stairs. Bellatrix grabbed her hand.

"Annie," she began. Andromeda turned around. "I love you too. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do."

"I want you to be able to live like you want to but I can't make that possible. So I have to live my life in a way that people like you can live the way they want. Maybe if there are enough purebloods than your daughter can go off and do what she wants. Maybe even you once you're older."

"I don't understand how that's connected to what you did."

"I know you don't. But trust me, it is. Just trust me Annie. Have I ever told you a lie?"

"No, but I'm beginning to think I'm not the only one in the family who's deceiving themselves," she sighed. "Good-night Bella."

"Night Annie," she said gently, letting her little sister climb up the cold stairs. Andromeda got to her dorm and found the other fifth years were asleep. She grabbed her nightgown, hurriedly slipped it over her head, and scurried into bed, lying on top of the warm blankets, hoping the cold would keep her spinning mind at bay.

**I'm sorry about my last author's note! I felt kind of guilty after I wrote it. But thank you guys for the reviews! For give me for the begging last time?**

**Next chapter, ever wonder why Flitwick the "dueling champion" wasn't involved with Dueling Club in Harry's second year?**


	10. Part 1: Chapter 9

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_March 1969_

"Never again! Never again!" Andromeda heard as she walked towards the Great Hall. The voice startled her as she stared at the source.

"There, there Filius," Professor McGonagall soothed. Again, something Andromeda had never thought she'd hear, at least not from stern Professor McGonagall. Someone gave a low whistle from behind her as they took in the state of the Great Hall.

"They really did mean it when they said they needed prefects down here to help pick up," Ted said as she turned around to face him. At least Ted was acting normal. Andromeda said nothing back, partially because she had nothing to say and partially because she was in shock at the state of the large room. The tables had disappeared before dueling club had started, that much she had guessed would happen. But she wasn't suspecting the students still struggling to get up, the total dishevelment of items all over the floor that hadn't been there at dinner time.

"Black, Tonks, Prewett, over here!" Professor Martin called. Andromeda glanced behind her and saw Molly Prewett standing there. With a sigh, she walked over to where their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had beckoned them. "How good are you with healing charms?" he asked. "The major cases have been taken to Madam Frist in the hospital wing but we could still use some help with more minor injuries."

"I've got three brothers," Prewett snorted as though that explained everything. Then again, Andromeda had seen her three brothers. It probably was all the explanation needed.

"Um, I've never really learned more than a couple," Ted shrugged.

"You'll learn fast. Black will help you," he said, staring down at Andromeda. She nodded and then grimaced as the professor turned his back, going off to help a pair of prefects who were cleaning up some of the rubble. For the life of her, Andromeda couldn't guess what it had once been.

"Do you know anything?" Andromeda asked as Prewett went off.

"I know Episkey from Quidditch practice," Ted told her. "And that about it." Andromeda sighed, shaking her head at him.

"Well go see how many broken bones you can find," she directed before walking over to a Ravenclaw third year leaning against the wall a few feet away, whimpering as she looked at her fingernails. They had grown very long and apparently very quickly, because they had dug into her hands. Andromeda pulled her wand out of her pocket, watching as Prewett helped a second year boy who had found his ears pierced and Ted as he made a first year girl giggle while he repaired her broken wrist. "So what happened here?" she asked the girl once her fingernails were shrunk again. She turned the girl's left palm over to work on the cuts her fingernails had left there.

"We were having dueling club. It was the first meeting," the girl replied quickly, not meeting Andromeda in the eye.

"I know that much. Other hand," Andromeda told her, dropping the girl's left hand. Rapidly, she held out her right palm.

"Well things got a bit out of hand I guess," she answered.

"No kidding," Andromeda mumbled under her breath. "How-" but she looked up and the girl was gone.

"Wow, what did you say to her?" Ted asked, coming up beside her.

"I didn't say anything threatening. I was only asking how things got so out of hand," she growled back. "Why do you assume it's-"

"I was joking," he snorted. "Only joking. She's a muggle-born. Of course she's terrified of you."

"Too bad you're not. Can't you find anyone else with a broken bone you can help?"

"No, although Abby over there told me what happened. Apparently, this started out alright but then a third year Gryffindor hexed a second year Slytherin for something that happened outside of class, a group of people jumped to the Slytherin's defense, a group jumped to the Gryffindor's defense, and you can imagine how things tumbled out of control from there. Anyway, back on topic, you're going to have to teach me some spells."

"Fine there's-"

"No, show me. I work better if you show me," he told her. With a huff she moved away from him towards a boy sitting on the ground not far away whose face looked badly burnt. "What did you get burned by?" she asked him.

"My friend's wand," he mumbled. She saw Ted trying to hide a snort out of the corner of her eye. The little boy, who looked to be about a first year looked down as though ashamed. "It sparked. He didn't mean it too but I got a lot of sparks in my face." Andromeda nodded. That problem was easy to deal with. She turned more of her attention back to Ted.

"Why can't you go ask Prewett?"

"Martin told me that you would help me," he remarked with a smirk, crouching down next to her watching her intently, his shoulder close to hers.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind who you learned from," she answered. "Did you see enough of the spell?"

"Molly likes doing her own thing. And yes."

"So do I. And help-" she looked at the boy vaguely.

"Carson," he supplied.

"Help Carson with the rest of his face." The she got up and moved on, leaving the two boys behind as she went to a girl who had buried her head in her hands.

"Show me what's wrong?" Andromeda asked. The girl peeked her eyes through.

"I've got zits all over my face!" she cried before pulling her hands from her face. "And he just asked me to go to the Three Broomsticks with him last night!" Now Andromeda recognized her. It was one of Narcissa's friends.

"Ada, it will be fine. Just calm down," Andromeda instructed. The girl's sobs became merely snuffles. Andromeda figured she could get to something more pressing. "Was Narcissa here too?" Adelaide nodded.

"She was fine though. All she did was disarm Tatiana. They stayed with me for a while but then Martin made everyone who wasn't hurt leave."

"Thank you," Andromeda told her before beginning to work on her face. She felt someone come up behind her and saw Adelaide glare. "Go away, Ted," she instructed monotonously. "I told you to go bug Prewett instead."

"And I told you Martin told me to follow you." Andromeda paused and glanced around before spotting a girl holding her arm in front of her.

"She looks like she's got the same kind of burn that boy did. Go help her." Ted shrugged and walked away.

"Ted? You called him Ted. Do you know him, Andromeda?" Adelaide asked.

"I have prefect duty with him a lot for some reason," Andromeda replied, shaking her head. "There, I think you're as good as I can get it. Clean your face off really well tonight with some of that stuff Narcissa has and you should be alright by morning." Adelaide nodded and then waved as she walked off. Andromeda went to go find someone else. She had a boy sticking out his tongue so she could fix it when Ted came up beside her again.

"Would you go away?" she asked in annoyance after she finished and the boy dashed off.

"I told you, Professor Martin said that _you_ were the one who was supposed to help me," he repeated yet again.

"As if that's the only reason."

"Well, you're the one who wants to be a healer."

"This isn't stuff a healer would do. This is stuff you should learn to do around the house. Healers work on more complicated things."

"Well then, you really do need to teach me," Ted said, keeping in step with her as she moved on to another boy. The small crowd was dwindling away and so was the rubble that Professor Martin was helping another set of prefects with. He and Professor Flitwick had been the ones in charge of the first meeting of the Dueling Club for first, second, and third years. Andromeda had extreme doubts there would be a second meeting. "Otherwise, I'm going to keep showing up at St. Mungo's for little scrapes and bruises and you're going to be annoyed with me long after you leave school."

"Well I won't be working there anyway."

"Yes you will."

"Will not," Andromeda said, leaning down next to a girl who had fallen asleep on the ground. "Rennervate." Blinking, the girl woke up and stared at them.

"What happened?"

"Club's over. Go to your common room and ask your friends," Andromeda told her. Nodding nervously the girl got to her feet.

"S'okay, darling," Ted assured her. "No serious damage done. Except to my heart. I think you may have stolen it. I was wishing you were Sleeping Beauty so I could kiss you and make everything better." He grinned at her and she giggled as she hurried away.

"What did you do that for?" Andromeda growled at him.

"To make her feel better," Ted shrugged. "Why, jealous?"

"Only of this supposed Sleeping Beauty. I'm guessing she would get to sleep through your presence?"

"You've basically figured out the story then, haven't you?" Ted asked, seeming surprised.

"It's titled well," Andromeda told him as she looked around for someone else to help. Molly Prewett was apparently looking for the same thing and finding no one.

"Except then I'd have to be your handsome prince and wake you with a kiss," Ted muttered as he walked close to her side. Jumpily, she spun to get away from him and fix him with a glare, yet somehow managed to run into him, knocking him down to the ground right where the sleeping girl had been a moment before. "What did I land in?" he yelped, springing to his feet and wiping off his back. There was a look of utter dread on his face. She began to laugh. "What was it?" he asked nervously.

Andromeda regained control of herself, still grinning. "She was salivating as she slept."

"Oh gross!" Ted whined. Molly Prewett, who was coming towards them, gave him a strange look.

"Professor Martin says we can go, Ted," she informed him. Her eyes swept briefly over Andromeda looking bewildered. Andromeda felt her grin sliding away into a glare.

"Andromeda too?" Ted asked, seeming to catch the look.

"Yes. Her too," Prewett answered off-handedly before turning around and waving and walking away towards Arthur Weasley. Ted began to snort.

"What is so funny?"

"You're glaring at Molly."

"So?"

"Isn't she exactly the same as Francis?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Ted, they're completely different people," she pointed out as she began to head for the door. Ted followed her.

"I'd realized that. I just meant- Well they're both what you think of as blood-traitors, aren't they?"

"Only Prewett is."

"How so?"

"Oh you can tell she is."

"Because she's in Gryffindor?" Ted asked as he pushed open the door to the Entrance Hall.

"Well, that and other reasons."

"Name one."

"She's a Prewett," Andromeda argued, pausing in front of the steps that led up to the first floor.

"Francis is a Longbottom. Give me another one."

"She's obviously on the side of muggle-rights. I mean, Merlin's Beard, she's dating Arthur Weasley! Everyone's seen him practically skipping to Muggle-Studies."

"So if Lucius Malfoy took Ancient Runes and loved it that would automatically mean your sister loved it?"

"How did you know my sister and Lu-"

"Doesn't matter," Ted said, waving his hand. "Everyone knows about it by now, let's just say that. Answer the question."

"I don't have to!" Andromeda told him angrily. A pair of prefects who had been helping clean up, jumped at the sound of her voice and then hurried down to the Hufflepuff common room, their eyes fixed on Andromeda and Ted as long as possible. They were the last of the prefects who had been in the Great Hall.

"Why are you refusing to?" he bit back.

"Because I don't want to answer to a mud-blood like you!" she yelled at him.

"Mud-blood?" he asked coolly. "I must really have hit a nerve if you're calling me mud-blood."

"If you have a point to make than make it," she hissed, glaring at him.

"The only real difference between Francis and Molly is that Molly is older and your family and your sister told you what to think of her before you came here. Francis is someone you met and formed an opinion of on your own."

"Bella agrees with me that-"

"Bella agrees with you because you're you! Don't you get that Andromeda?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," she told him coldly.

"Did your sister ever tell you how many fights she got in her first and second year without you here? Did she ever tell you why so many people are still afraid of her?"

"Because she's got a temper and she's not afraid to hex people."

"It was worse those first two years."

"If you're implying that I in any way influence Bella then you're wrong. I can't talk her out of anything."

"Then it must just be that when you're around she acts better. You're influencing her somehow. That's why she likes Francis."

"No it's not!" Andromeda yelled. "You wouldn't say that if you knew! You wouldn't say that at all if you knew what she'd done!" Andromeda's face felt hot. Ted looked at her, straight in the eye, as though reading what she couldn't say. They stood there in silence as he reached forward and touched her shoulder lightly. She felt a nerve in her arm shiver happily but she jerked her shoulder away.

"Andromeda," he said softly, reaching out again as her face began to cool. His hand came to rest on the same shoulder and she made a half hearted attempt to pull away but didn't move any more when it failed. "I promise I won't tell. It's been bugging you, hasn't it? Something she's done."

"I won't tell you," Andromeda said daringly.

"I won't tell," he said softly.

"We're not friends, Ted."

"No? Then what are we?" he asked putting his hand down. Her shoulder shrugged forward with his arm and then went back into place. She went up the first step and leaned against the banister of the stairs. When she didn't answer, he stepped forward and up, closer to her and reached out his hand to put it back on her shoulder again. He was closer than before, the space between them almost too close for a normal conversation. Her heart thudded as she felt the heat coming from his body, the same human heat that came when she squeezed into a chair with Bellatrix or pulled a squirming Regulus into her lap. And yet it wasn't supposed to be the same. He was supposed to be different, lower. His eyes weren't supposed to look concerned and desperate for an answer. There was no way he ought to be able to comprehend her the way he did. She felt a shiver climbing up her back that didn't come when she came in contact with her family. "What are we?" he repeated.

"You're you and I'm me."

"Which means?" he asked impatiently.

"Which means no," Andromeda told him, finally pulling her shoulder away from his grip.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a muggle-born."

"So I'm no longer a mud-blood?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We're not friends."

"Why not?" he asked again.

"I already told you!" she snapped.

"What difference does that make?"

"A lot. Good-bye mud-blood," she said, stressing the word before stepping down and beginning to walk towards the staircase that led down to the Slytherin dungeon.

"I want a better answer," he called from the stairs heading upwards.

"Too bad."

**Not as dramatic as the last couple chapters I'm afraid. Still, I'd love to know what you thought.**


	11. Part 1: Chapter 10

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_April 1969_

"You're leaving again."

"Yes."

"You shouldn't."

"I need to."

"Bellatrix?" someone else called, a young male voice against the two females. "Are you ready?"

"You're bringing him?" Andromeda asked harshly.

"He wants to help," Bellatrix told her.

"Are you coming too, Andromeda?" Malfoy asked.

"He's fourteen," Andromeda reminded Bellatrix, her voice full of accusation.

"Fifteen!" Lucius argued.

"He wants to help the cause."

"He's fifteen," she retorted, "and he's going to be married to Narcissa."

Bellatrix snorted. "Even better reason to bring him. Rodolphus will be there as well. That means both you and Cissy will be considered on the right side when the time comes."

"So she's not going?" Lucius asked.

"He's fifteen," Andromeda repeated.

"I'm old enough," Lucius insisted.

"If he thinks he's old enough, than he's old enough. Come on," she ordered Malfoy. Andromeda glared at them as Bellatrix went down the rest of the stairs to meet Lucius at the bottom.

"I'll give you detention."

"Like I care," Bellatrix snorted, but Andromeda wasn't looking at her. She was looking at Lucius. A look of worry had crossed his face. She had hit the right nerve.

"It'll hurt your chances of becoming a prefect next year if you get caught sneaking out."

"Bellatrix, maybe I ought to-"

"It doesn't matter, Lucius!" Bellatrix yelped. "Being a prefect, it doesn't matter at all! Andromeda doesn't even like it. She keeps getting put with an arrogant mud-blood."

"Muggle-born," she corrected without even thinking. She felt two pairs of grey eyes, Bellatrix's dark and slightly accusatory, Lucius's cool and questioning.

"Slip of the tongue, Annie?" Bellatrix asked after a moment, climbing back up two of the stairs.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "I'm used to being in class where I get points taken away if I say the wrong thing."

"You get points taken away if you say the right thing, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Good because I wouldn't want you getting too friendly with this mud-blood," she replied, her eyes boring into Andromeda's. "You wouldn't want to have too many slips of the tongue around him."

"No."

"Like knowing him by his first name. That would be getting to friendly."

"I agree."

"So you wouldn't do that? You're not that familiar with him then?"

"No."

"So Ada lied to Narcissa then?"

"What?" Andromeda asked her.

"Never mind Annie," Bellatrix said, walking back down the stairs. "Although I must tell Narcissa to get some new friends. Hers seem to like spreading deceptive rumors."

"I hadn't heard."

"It doesn't matter," Bellatrix said as she and Lucius began to walk away, Lucius seeming childish and wobbly next to Bellatrix's cool grace. "Just a rumor that you were getting too friendly with a certain muggle-born."

"Mud-blood," Andromeda corrected, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Bellatrix grinned.

"That's right. I guess we both sometimes just have slips of the tongue." And with that she left through the hidden door, leaving Andromeda alone on the steps, her resolve to dislike Ted Tonks solidified even more. If she liked him at all, she would have to hate him.

Two nights later, she found herself patrolling the corridors with Tonks once again. Multiple times he attempted small talk and she shot him down, answering in monosyllables if she answered at all. She could feel him staring at her though she didn't look in his direction. "Andromeda," he began again, this time reaching over and touching her shoulder as if trying to turn her towards him. She jerked away. "Andromeda, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered stiffly and turned around a corner.

"You promised to help me you know." She winced. She'd forgotten about that. "You said you'd help me figure out what jobs were out there in Herbology."

"Well you should know better than to trust a Black," she replied quickly.

"I wouldn't."

"Then you knew I wouldn't actually help you."

"I never said I thought of you as a Black."

"Well I am and if you didn't know that, you're an idiot."

"I meant that you're different. You don't act like they do."

"I do too."

"You talk to me. You didn't flinch back when you found at the girl you'd helped was a muggle-born."

"Professor Martin told me too. And they'd talk to you too if they had prefect duty as many damn times as I do with you."

"They'd do nothing but call me mud-blood," he pointed out.

"I call you mud-blood, mud-blood."

"Only, I think, when you're trying to protect me," he answered. Andromeda finally glanced over at him and found he was looking right at her trying to judge the correctness of his statement. For a moment they paused in the hallway and she could tell he was waiting for her to respond. She bit her lip and then started to walk again, facing straight forward, letting him fall behind. "I can stand up to a few hexes. I wouldn't mind if I could be your friend."

"It's more than just a few hexes," she said suddenly, whipping around to face him. He stopped dead, studying her. "It's more than you can even guess so just-just leave me alone. For both of our sakes!" Then she jetted around again and began marching down the corridor.

"No," he said plainly.

"To save your own skin," she pleaded.

"No."

She sighed and gave another attempt. "To save mine." For a moment he was silent. Perhaps she had finally managed to make something sink into his thick skull.

"Would she really hurt you?" he asked softly, barely audible above the padding of their footsteps.

"I never said anything about a she."

"Don't pretend I'm stupid. Would she?"

Andromeda hesitated. "I don't know," she finally answered. "I don't know what she's capable of anymore."

"What did she do?"

"I never said-"

"Don't pretend I'm stupid," he repeated. "I know you Andromeda. You're a friend of mine whether you can admit it or not. And I can see that something has happened. Merlin, everyone in the school can see that something happened. You and your sister have always been attached at the hip and then this year, suddenly, you're not. Even Narcissa isn't as close to you anymore, though she never was quite as close. Everyone can see it. Don't think you aren't one of the most gossiped about topics in the school and trust me, I know gossip. You wouldn't believe what flies around in the Ravenclaw common room."

"Ted I can't tell you," Andromeda said, her voice defeated. "I can't tell you, I can't tell anyone." She looked back at him. "I can't turn my sister in."

"Turn her- you mean to Azkaban? She's done something bad enough to land her in Azkaban?" Ted asked her. Andromeda didn't say anything but her silence was apparently enough of an answer. Ted didn't press the question again. The quiet that followed seemed overbearing and Andromeda didn't think she could stand to let it sit.

"So speaking of rumors," Ted said suddenly, "is that one about the Slytherin dormitories true?"

"What one about the Slytherin dormitories?" she asked in confusion.

"That boys and girls sleep, among other things, in the same dormitories. There are no separate ones for boys and girls."

A scandalized no was almost to her mouth when an idea struck her. She grinned as she looked back at him, her eyebrows raised. "Is that a way of asking who I've had in my dorm?"

"That's a way of asking who you've had in your bed," he answered, with a slight laugh.

"Why, vying for a spot?" She nearly jumped as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him, looking at her from head to foot, a playful glint in his eye.

"Yes," he answered, his eyes dancing. "M'lady if you would allow me into your bedchamber I would be the happiest boy of eighteen this world has known." Then he grabbed her hand and kissed it while he took a slight bow as though he were a perfect gentleman. Andromeda couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her mouth.

"I'm quite sorry, good sir, but my bedchamber has no room for boys and only room for true men," she played along, walking away from him.

"Then I shall become a man that I may enter," he replied cheerfully, jogging a little to catch her and then walking alongside her, "Tell me, how can I achieve manhood in your eyes?"

"You must survive the flaming heat of a dragon's breath in order to bring me ten scales."

"Easy enough fair maiden, for I have survived even the hotter fire of my passion for you for many a day." Andromeda snorted. "Although you're not really a fair maiden," he said as an after thought. "You're definitely a gorgeous and I'm fairly sure you're a maiden but fair would only suit your sister." Andromeda paled a little at the mention of her sister. Ted seemed to catch it and hastily amended, "I only meant Narcissa."

"I know," she said quietly but effectively ending the strange word game they'd been playing. Silence fell again and Andromeda felt herself wishing she could talk to Ted again, argue or play or even just chat. For a moment she wondered when he would start talking again so they could carry on with a conversation but he wasn't saying anything, perhaps afraid he would overstep a boundary again. She took a breath in, reminding herself that he had been the one to keep talking to her after she had practically told him that Bellatrix was too dangerous.

"So have you talked to your head of house at all about your career options?"

"I talked to Flitwick during the career advice meeting fifth year. I think that's coming up for you, isn't it?"

"Yes, a lovely meeting with Slughorn where I pretend to be interested in a career while he pretends to believe me."

"Why not just decide not to pretend?" Ted asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"So what did Flitwick tell you?" she questioned, ignoring him.

"Well, he definitely recommended something in Herbology," Ted shrugged.

"What other classes are you in?"

"Um, Charms, Creatures, Potions, and Defense."

"So there are a lot of things you could do," Andromeda sighed in frustration.

"Thanks!" Ted answered brightly and she glared at him. He grinned widely. "Not helping I suppose."

"Well, what do you like to do in the greenhouses at all hours of the day besides collecting dirt samples on, it looks like your ears today?"

"Oh, yeah, I had it on my hands and then I had my wand behind my ear and I went to grab it and well, that explains the dirt."

"Right well, what do you like to do besides dirt collection?" Andromeda repeated.

"Experiments with breeding. Creating hybrids or just messing with plants to see their different reactions I suppose. But come to think of it I wouldn't mind doing a few experiments with breeding with you," he said with a large smile on his face. Andromeda shook her head and chuckled.

"Does everything always turn into a sexual reference for you?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Only as long as it makes you smile," he answered. "You're other mood is so depressing. I hate to see my friends depressed."

"We're not friends."

"I'm still waiting for that better reason."

"So anyway, there are a few companies that actually work with breeding plants but I'm not sure how many have a lot of hybrid productions," Andromeda said turning to face the corridor instead of facing Ted. He rolled his eyes and followed after her.

"Do you know any names?"

"Hm, well there's Flora Fanatic; Dangerous Domestics, they mostly grow plants to feed to their animals or to feed to the animals they're going to feed to their animals; Plant Supplier, though usually I think they're called Post Script; McFarland Magical Vegetation…

**Alright, shorter chapter and it's pretty much pure fluff. I'm **_**not**_** incredibly proud of this chapter I just needed it for the next chapter (which has a lot of fluff in it as well and a Francis who's gotten on the bad side of a Giddiness Potion).**


	12. Part 1: Chapter 11

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_April 1969_

"So what happened then?"

"We walked around the floor one more time just to double check things since they'd seemed very quiet. We've done the same thing before," Andromeda sighed, fighting the smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "Why exactly are you so interested? It was just a prefect duty."

Francis smiled broadly and leaned forward, her arms folding over her open history book. "Because he fancies you and I think that you've got a crush on him," she said quietly, so only Andromeda could hear, not that there were many people to hear in the library right now. Most people were outside enjoying the sudden burst of warm weather.

"I do not have a crush on a- a muggle-born," she said in her most offended tone.

"You do too," Francis giggled. Andromeda rolled her eyes and leaned down, pushing her hands into her hair and reading. Her friend's giggled slowly began to subside and Andromeda could feel her cheeks beginning to burn. She did not have a crush on Ted Tonks. She couldn't.

Francis suddenly burst into a new gaggle of giggles. "What?" Andromeda asked.

"You're so oblivious."

"Oblivious to what?"

"The fact that you have a crush on some guy."

"I do not," Andromeda hissed at Francis, leaning closer, "have a crush on Theodore Tonks."

"You do too." Andromeda opened her mouth to argue and then closed it, glaring. "Come on."

"I do not. What is going on with you today?"

"I already told you about potions class," Francis giggled. "Now admit it. You like him."

"I do not like him."

"You don't dislike him."

"Fine, I don't dislike him now will you stop-"

"And you had prefect duty with him last night and you walked around with him an extra time after you flirted with him about your- your 'bedchamber'," she giggled.

"I was talking to him about Herbology. And I was not flirting I was just playing along."

"About him and Herbology," Francis stressed, ignoring her comment about flirting. "About what he's going to do with Herbology after he leaves here. You care what happens to him after he leaves here."

Andromeda sighed. "That doesn't mean that."

"Then why are you helping him?"

"Because I- I-"

"Because you care about him. You like him. You want to raise lots of mandrakes with him and name them all Ted Jr."

"That is ridiculous."

"But you like him, you like him."

"I am not getting any work done with you in here."

"Alright I'll be good," Francis sighed. Then she broke out in a grin. "After you admit that you fancy him."

"But I don't fancy him! I do not fancy Ted Tonks," she hissed.

"Ann and Ted, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-"

"Hello." Francis burst into an even harder round of giggles. Andromeda glared over at her and then shifted her glare over to Ted Tonks. "I thought I heard my name when I was over looking for a book-"

"Well you didn't," Andromeda said quickly.

"So," he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I came over to find out what you were talking about."

"Well you heard wrong," she replied stubbornly, glaring over at Francis once again.

"People don't generally laugh like that if there's no irony involved."

"They do if they over-brewed a Giddiness Potion earlier today."

"It's true," Francis told him, tears shining in her eyes from her laughing. "My partner over stewed the sunflower stems. We didn't realize it until Slughorn told us to try it."

"Mite bit late then," Ted snorted. "I still don't believe that's all to the story," he told Andromeda.

"I assure you, she's been annoyingly giggly all afternoon," Andromeda remarked, growling at Francis. The tone seemed to go unnoticed. "I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be quick at understand such things."

"We are quick. Which is why I've caught on to the fact that I was being talked about."

"You were not."

"I think I was. Anyway, I wanted to show you something," he said and held out his finger. "Slammed it in the door," he said almost proudly. His finger was black and blue and there was a crust around the edge. "Nail's falling off."

"Then go to the hospital wing!"

"I wanted to show you first. I finally remembered," he insisted, taking his other hand and slipping a finger onto the edge of the nail to bring it up. A drop of blood, perfectly red and undistinguishable from Andromeda's own, began to squeeze out as his nail tore further away from its bed, his eyes squinting as he tried to hold back a wince.

"Stop that!" Andromeda insisted, then grabbed his wrist and pulled out her wand.

"Ouch," he grimaced as she tapped the nail with her wand and muttered a spell under her breath. There was a light squelching noise as the nail reattached itself and the dried blood drained itself off. "Did I prove my point?" he asked.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "I'd like to go back to studying if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," he answered and then plopped down next to her. Francis started giggling like mad again.

"I can't wait till that potion wears off," Andromeda growled at her. "Go away, Ted."

"Aw, you really hate me that much? Or did you over stew a hate potion?"

"I don't even know how to make a hate potion," she sighed. "And that's beside the point. Go away Ted."

"I don't think I want to."

"Don't you have your own friends you can go and pick on?"

"Half of them seem to be in Gobstones Club," he replied, rolling his eyes. "They're having a tournament today. The rest of them either seem to be sick, spending some alone time with their girlfriends while the weather is nice, or have locked themselves in solitary study confinement."

"So, naturally, you decided to come and bother me."

"No, I was fully going to look into the Venomous Flutterby."

"Flutterby isn't venomous," Andromeda said, rolling her eyes.

"Nope, it's not. But someone's done a new hybrid between Venomous Tentacula and a Flutterby bush. I wanted to find out more."

"Good, then go."

"You can't make me."

"Fine then I'll go," she said, standing up.

"And leave me here?" Francis asked.

"You find him so entertaining I didn't think you'd mind," Andromeda answered pointedly.

"So you were talking about me," Ted said, standing up and smirking at her.

"No!" Andromeda said very decisively as Francis began to giggle and nod her head.

"What were you saying about me?"

"Nothing at all!"

He took a step towards her. He was the same height as her and their eyes met, hers in a glare and his smiling as brightly as his mouth. "What were you saying about me?"

"Nothing!" she repeated, fighting with her own smile. "Arrgh!" she squealed while Francis started to laugh as Ted began to tickle her right below her ribcage. "Stop it," she laughed, trying to pull away. Neither of them heard the hurried footsteps behind them until Francis tried to stunt her laughter. Andromeda noticed first and sharply turned around and found Madam Pince looking absolutely startled to see the villains who had dared to violate the peace of her library. Andromeda took a step back.

"Oomph," Ted breathed as she backed into him. She made to step forward, away from him but Madam Pince took a step forward, seeming to somehow lord over them both despite being at least three inches shorter.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked sharply.

"We were studying," Andromeda told her quickly.

"Studying what?" Madam Pince asked, looking Ted Tonks up and down carefully. Now Andromeda did take a quick step away from him, this time to the side.

"Transfiguration," she said quickly and reached for her book on the table across from Francis.

"I was looking up the Flutterby Bush, honest," Ted began to speak up.

"I really wasn't doing anything other than an essay for history, Madam Pince," Francis told her.

"We weren't doing anything," Ted added.

"You were making an intolerable amount of noise. You, missy," she said turning her glare on Francis, "are to leave the library now and not allowed to do anything more than check out books for the next month. No studying in here. You'll have to do that in your common room or somewhere else."

"But-" Francis began.

"And I expect you'll be checking out a lot of them for these two who will be banned from the library for that month," Madam Pince added, glaring at Andromeda and Ted. Francis turned on heel and left.

"That's not fair! I didn't start it!"

"It really wasn't her fault," Ted added. Andromeda did her best to shoot him a brief smile but as he gave her a confused look she gathered it had come off as more of a twisted, worried sort-of look.

"These things rarely happen with out some kind of encouragement which should not be happening in my- Hogwarts library! Now out!" Andromeda sucked in a breath and gathered her things, marching for the door as she stashed her books in her backpack. She heard Ted following after her.

"I really am sorry," he said, taking long strides to catch up with her. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Andromeda looked at him. His usual joking look was gone. He reminded her terribly of Spot at the moment, begging to be held or played with or in some way loved. "It'll be okay," she sighed. He gave her a brief sort of smile. For a moment they stood awkwardly in the hallway together. "I am going to be using Francis for books though," Andromeda finally spoke up to break the silence.

"Do you think she'd mind if I used her too? I hardly know her very well but I do have N.E.W.T.'s at the end of the year."

"So you're not going to goof off until the test week and then cram?"

"Oh I'll be cramming alright. But I am a Ravenclaw. Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure and all that," he laughed.

"Wit is hardly knowledge."

"Ah but a more knowledgeable person is far more likely to be witty."

"It's not a guarantee."

"But sometimes the world must be taken in generalizations."

"Oh look at the hypocrite."

"Yes but see there's a different between your blood purity and my wit and knowledge."

"I know that."

"My way is better," he said, smugly, sticking his nose in the air.

"Maybe so," she replied in a vague sort of way. Her eyes however, were still fully in the game.

"You value knowledge over blood?" he asked, beginning to circle around her with his hand rubbing a non-existent beard. She began to walk away and he followed in his circle, still observing. "Tell me, are you truly a Black or were you just dumped on their doorstep as a baby?"

"That's ridiculous." He stopped circling and just fell to walking beside her.

"Ah, yes from the rumors I've heard your parents would never take in a baby at the doorstep unless it had a full family tracing it back nine generations of purebloods wrapped with it in the blankets."

"Hey!" Andromeda said glaring.

"So the rumors aren't true?" he asked. He sounded genuinely curious. Andromeda couldn't look him in the eye. After a moment she felt Ted look away. "I bet you _were_ nearly a Ravenclaw."

"What?" she asked, startled.

"At your sorting. Did the hat try and put you somewhere else?"

"Yes. You too?"

"Nope. That hat landed on my head and then it declared me a Ravenclaw. So Hufflpuff?"

"No."

"You were nearly a Gryffindor then?" he asked in astonishment. She shook her head.

"That was someone else."

"You know a Slytherin who was almost a Gryffindor?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"I'm not going to tell you," she said. Then quickly she added, "And I promise you if you tickle me again I will hex your hide to Hogsmeade."

"I like my butt the way it is, thank you very much."

"You're not at all vain."

"I think I have a nice enough butt not to want it rearranged by a hex. I can walk by and you can weigh in on the topic if you'd like," he offered, challengingly. Andromeda shook her head at him and walked ahead, trying to get away. "Or offer to go yourself. That's fine. I would say that by the fine state of your 'hide' you definitely should not look into a hex on your-"

"Ted!" she squealed, turning sharply. "I didn't mean for you to check out my- my- my-"

"You ought to have clarified," he said with a triumphant smile, "because I sure wasn't going to pass up the opportunity for my enjoyment."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow over at him. "Well pay up then," she said.

"What?"

"Get walking. Let's make things fair."

"Ah, almost fair from the near student of Ravenclaw."

"I never said that. And I think Ravenclaw was a different kind of fair."

"I already figured that out, Dromeda," he said, strutting off ahead of her. She made a point to look upwards. Surely she hadn't thought this challenge through.

She ignored the teasing and instead asked, "Dromeda?"

"Sure. What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing I suppose," she answered as he stopped in the hallway, facing her. He smiled.

"So why didn't you want to be in Ravenclaw?" he asked her curiously.

"I just couldn't stand the idea."

"All the mud-bloods?" he asked, somewhat darkly.

"More all the lack of Bella," Andromeda told him. "I missed her so much those couple of years she was at Hogwarts and I wasn't. We always were really close." She looked up at him, begging him not to bring up their last conversation about her sister.

"I've seen you more around with Francis this year." Well, maybe he couldn't completely take a hint but at least he had taken part of it.

"You've been watching me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Not intentionally," he said quickly. He bent his head downwards and Andromeda looked down at the ground too. He was rubbing his hands against his robes and she caught his eye, making him look down further. Her heart began to pound. "But I did start to notice you more."

"Bella's been busier this year than- than usual," Andromeda told him. "And this is Francis's first year. She was lonely and Bella-" With the hands he had been wiping on his robes, Ted reached out and grabbed hers. Without thinking, she slid her fingers in between his and looked up, their eyes meeting. His hands were dry but not cracked. Soft in a way as if the dirt under his fingernails had ground his hands down to a feeling like a bed sheet left out in the sun to dry. "Bella was busy," she finished lamely.

"I suppose that kind of makes sense," he nodded quietly. Gently he squeezed her hands. She smiled at him. "You've probably been busy too. With O.W.L.'s. I remember fifth year." She felt like she was having a sort of out-of-body experience. On one level she was very aware of her hands locked with Ted's, feeling his warm fingers pressed between hers. On another, she was carrying on a conversation as though completely oblivious to the physical touch. And a part of her mind was on still a third level, screaming that she shouldn't be doing this, especially not out in the open.

"I'm going to be grateful for next year when the homework gets better," she said distantly watching him, taking in his bright blue eyes and his golden hair and his face, his light grin. Suddenly she jerked her hands away, her mind taking control again. "I-I have to go. I have home-homework," she said suddenly and took off down the hallway, heading straight towards the stairs. Ted stood behind in the hallway looking completely confused. Once she was sure she was far from his gaze she stopped in the hallway, leaning against the wall. What was going on? He was a muggle-born. She hit her head lightly into the wall and slumped further. What could she possibly be thinking? Then she shoved her fingers deep into her hair past her temples, as if trying to erase the memory of his fingers between hers, while she looked down at the wall and almost began to cry. She fought it. Taking a deep breath she straightened up and marched down to the dungeons, trying to pretend that absolutely nothing was wrong, trying to pretend her head wasn't spinning, trying to pretend she didn't have a crush on a guy who she wasn't even allowed to speak to in anything but insults.

**Like? Hate? Spotting glaring grammar mistakes? I'd like to know about it so please review! Sorry that it's another mostly fluff chapter (although I do like the way this one turned out a lot better than the last one. Last chapter was kind of filler so I could get to this chapter. sigh)**

**Warning, my summer ends on Saturday (well technically on Tuesday but they're going to try and keep us busy with "Welcome Week" all weekend) so I probably won't be updating as often. Originally, I had this story almost all written out. And then I changed my mind on some stuff (it used to be shorter and Bellatrix was less dark) but then I realized, I wanted Bellatrix darker because, well, she's Bellatrix. It had to be. So, all in all, I won't have as much time to write (if I intend to pass Calc II that is) and I won't have as much time to post but I will not abandon this story, gosh-darn-it.**


	13. Part 1: Chapter 12

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_May 1969_

"Martin-"

"Gone!"

"-Dumbledore-"

"-teacher left."

"Morning," Francis greeted sleepily, looking up as Andromeda made her way between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables.

"Morning," Andromeda answered as she sat down on the bench next to her and began looking for toast. "What's going on now?" she asked, glancing down the table to where a group composed mostly of girls was jabbing quickly to each other in semi-hushed voices. A similar phenomenon had happened at the Ravenclaw table.

"A new spark to the rumor mill it looks like," Francis sighed. "I think it has something to do with Professor Martin though. He's gone."

Andromeda snorted. "Well that's no surprise. Nobody's lasted more than a year in ages."

"Really? Why not?"

"Various reasons," Andromeda shrugged as she began to butter her toast, scanning around for the cinnamon. "One of them was this really old witch who died in July after she finished teaching, another decided to teach Arithmancy instead, and we had one who went crazy after teaching us for a year and decided to go off to Bora-Bora and study Flooberwalks."

"What are Flooberwalks?"

"Nobody knows. He mentioned them from time to time in class. Come to think of it," Andromeda decided, "he was rather crazy even before he-"

"-referee for Gobstones? Why would you need a referee for that?" a familiar voice said behind them walking towards the Ravenclaw table. Andromeda promptly over-occupied herself with dumping sugar on her toast as Francis shook her head dismally.

"Are you going to say hello to him this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Andromeda said hastily as she took a bite of her toast.

"Sure, and that was sugar you just poured over your toast," she replied as Andromeda's face twisted in disgust. Salt and cinnamon didn't go well together. "Would you just talk to him so you stop being such an idiot about things?"

"It was a simple mistake," Andromeda argued.

"And so was showing up in Charms the other day when you had Transfiguration. Let me guess, you saw Ted in the hall? And I suppose the reason you came back ten minutes after all the other prefects from that meeting a couple days ago."

"Fine, he bumped into me and we got into an argument about it. That's why I was late not anything more interesting than that."

"Yes, because I know I always grin like mad after I argue with someone I have no romantic feelings for whatsoever." Andromeda glared at her and tried to salvage her toast for a minute before just reaching over and stealing Francis's. "Hey!" she yelped in protest.

"I have Ancient Runes first on the sixth floor. All you have is Defense Against the Dark Arts on the first, if you even have class today with Martin gone."

"Do you know why he's gone though?"

"I'm sure we'll both be well versed by the end of the day," Andromeda decided as she got to her feet, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. Francis nodded and then reached across the table to get her breakfast back. Andromeda began heading out of the Great Hall, trying desperately to ignore a certain Ravenclaw as she passed his table. She was just outside the Great Hall when she heard the sound of someone running behind her, and she turned, expecting to see Francis. Instead she saw Ted.

"You aren't mad are you?" he asked quickly as Andromeda looked away, letting her hair billow around her face. She didn't answer him. "About- about Martin right?"

"I don't see why I would be. He's just another Defense teacher," she said quickly, in part wanting to get away, in part wanting to stay right where she was. She swept these thoughts from her mind.

"You didn't hear about- No, I suppose you didn't hear then. You don't seem to hear a lot of rumors." Andromeda broke her hair curtain and looked up at him uncertainly. He sighed. "One theory for why Martin's disappeared is that he was spying on certain 'high risk students'. Apparently, some people think there's something that's about to happen and Martin was testing out students who have the most predisposition to unite against the Ministry. You were one of them," Ted confessed. "I mean, not you alone, obviously but he was testing you and- and I think I was part of your test but I want you to know I didn't have anything to do with it. I mean I'm not really upset that I kept getting put with you for prefect duty but-"

"I don't think he'd get fired for that. He's not the only teacher who scowls at my sisters and I and he's not the first teacher to try and see what happens when the Blacks are put with muggle-borns for partners in things."

"Well no. He was also, um, well," Ted looked down, his hand on the back of his neck. "He got caught being too intimately involved in one of his spying 'projects'." Andromeda gave him a baffled look. "Err, okay, he and Cecile Rosier were caught being more _intimate_ than Dumbledore would allow."

"Oh," Andromeda commented trying to take in the information in her spinning mind. She pointed at the stairs. "I have Ancient Runes."

"Okay then," Ted agreed, a glimmer of disappointment coming into his eyes. "Right, well, I'll let you leave."

"Right, bye," she answered, beginning up the stairs, attempting to make a clean break. Instead her foot caught on the bottom stair and she fell forward, catching herself with her hands but still ramming into one of the stairs more painfully than she would have liked.

"Are you alright?" Ted asked, dashing to her side and grabbing her hand to help her get to her feet.

"Fine," she mumbled quickly, taking his hand without thinking. She paused when she was on her feet, looking at him, the concern on his face as he studied her.

"You sure?" he checked.

"I have Ancient Runes," she repeated, yanking her hand from his.

He grinned. "So I've heard. Although I think if you leave now-" he stopped realizing that Andromeda had taken off up the stairs. She faintly caught the words "you'll still be early" as she walked quickly along the first floor corridor to the stairs that led upwards.

That night, still banned from the library, Andromeda sat in a chair in the corner with the story she needed to translate for Ancient Runes in her lap, a piece of parchment sitting in the book, and her quill in her hand. Francis was curled up in the chair next to Andromeda reading a literature book, oblivious to the rest of the world. Some people were starting to head up to their dormitories for the night and Andromeda thought she might join them once she finished translating a couple more pages. She heard a yawn beside her as Francis closed her book and stretched out then smiled lightly at Andromeda. "I think I'm going to go to bed," she said. "I got to the end of my chapter."

"How is it?" Andromeda asked her.

"Oh pretty good," she shrugged.

"I still think you should read _Dishonorable Honesty_. Much better book."

"I'm not into romance, sorry," Francis replied with a small smile, rolling her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time.

"It's not only romance. Trust me, I wouldn't like it completely if it was. It's a classic though. You have to read it at some point or another."

"If I promise to read it after exams will you stop trying to talk me into reading it constantly?"

"I'd consider it." Francis snorted.

"Good-night."

"Night," Andromeda said back, turning back to her runes. She didn't register the slight plop that signaled that someone else had landed in the chair beside her.

"Annie," someone said quietly. Andromeda blinked and looked over to see Narcissa sitting where Francis had a moment before.

"Hello Cissy. What's going on?"

"I need your advice," she replied softly.

"On what?" Narcissa stood up and grabbed one of Andromeda's hands, tugging her out of the chair.

"I want to talk to you in private," she answered and Andromeda pulled her hand back to settle her book in the chair before getting up to follow Narcissa out of the common room. They walked along until they came to an empty dungeon classroom and Narcissa settled herself on top one of the desks, her feet resting on the bench beneath it. Andromeda sat on the desk behind hers, her feet on Narcissa's bench so she was facing her sister. Narcissa took in a deep breath before speaking. "I got asked to Hogsmeade," she said calmly but Andromeda could see her sister's eyes clouding with anxiety.

"And you think you fancy him?"

"Possibly a little," Narcissa sighed.

"You wouldn't be asking for advice otherwise. Who is he?"

"Aias Burke."

"Why are you so worried? It's fine to like somebody, Cissy, even if you are engaged to Malfoy. It's almost expected that you date somebody else. A lot of people do the same thing." She had been through this thought a lot lately, usually when she was falling asleep and her mind was slipping out of conscience control. Always, she remembered that dating a muggle-born was still considered positively disgusting, regardless of people's feelings on arranged engagements.

"Annie, do you know Aias?"

"No, I can't say that I do. Is he in Ravenclaw?"

"No, Slytherin. A fourth year."

"Right well-"

"Annie," she interrupted, her voice in an almost hiss, "Annie, he's a half-blood."

"Is he now?" Andromeda replied. It was a hard fight not to snort. She wanted to ask Narcissa if she had any idea who Andromeda unfortunately fancied but that would be stupider than offering a Kneazle milk in a room full of balloons.

"Why aren't you more surprised?"

"Well, he's still male and apparently in Slytherin, right? He can't be that bad."

"No but- Annie, what would Mother and Father think if I dated him, if they even knew that I liked him?"

"Call it a bout of youthful defiance," Andromeda shrugged. "It's about time you got some. You've always been perfect."

"So have you," Narcissa stuck out. "Bella's the only one who's been defiant. She gets into trouble so much and-"

"I'm not saying you should turn into Bella. Merlin, please don't. You're you and I'd like you to stay that way, please," Andromeda sighed. "I'm just saying that everyone has their moments. If you like him, go out with him. He's in Slytherin. I haven't heard of him so he must be slipping in okay. I mean, people must like him."

"They do," Narcissa replied softly. "They think he's great. He doesn't talk much about his family. His mum's a muggle-born and his dad, well, his dad was going to be part of that store, Borgin and Burkes, but he, after he married Aias's mother, he was kicked out of the family. But they're thinking of maybe letting Aias work there when he's older. I mean he's a half-blood but he's still- Annie, I don't know. I've never liked someone like this before. He's nice to me and he offers to help me with my homework. He barely even notices that I'm a Black just that I'm a girl and that he thinks I'm pretty. He doesn't compare me to you and Bella."

"Compare you to Bella and me?"

"Lucius does," Narcissa said darkly. "He adores Bella, especially lately. He thinks she's very bold and very purposeful and strong. Very strong."

"Well you don't like him anyway."

"But I should."

"But you don't, not yet. And neither does he like you. He's dating Cara Mc- Mc something."

"But I'm supposed to like him, not Aias!" Narcissa yelped and the paused. A silence filled the dungeon before she spoke again. "I get compared to you too," she said more calmly. "He thinks you're quiet and that you'll do well with kids and that you're stronger than I am too. Although I don't think he thinks as much of you as he does of Bella."

"And he said this to you?"

"Most of it indirectly."

"Define indirectly."

"He told Cara. Cara told me."

"You realize she could have made it up or he could have told her that to-"

"I'm not stupid. Of course I realize that. But it's true, isn't it? I'm not strong like you and Bella."

"Cissy, no one said you weren't strong."

"Then how come I fancy a half-blood? If I'm as strong as you and Bella, shouldn't I have more control over my heart? Shouldn't I just like Lucius?" Narcissa looked up at her desperately, pleading for advice that Andromeda couldn't bring herself to say. "I _want_ to like Lucius. I don't want to fancy Aias."

"Maybe I'm not as strong as you think I am," Andromeda answered. Narcissa looked up, her eyes bright and uncertain. Her mouth parted to speak but Andromeda began to talk again. "Go with him, with Aias. It's just one date. It's not going to hurt anything. You already know Lucius is dating." Narcissa shut her mouth, studying Andromeda closely.

"What are you and Bella fighting about?"

"We're not fighting about anything," Andromeda replied quickly, startled by the abrupt change in topics. She wondered if perhaps this hadn't been the main reason that Narcissa wanted to talk to her.

"Maybe you're not fighting but something happened back in January. Something changed when she came back here crying."

Andromeda dropped her head, letting her hair swing forward around her face. "I didn't know you'd noticed anything was-"

"Of course I did. Just because I don't say anything, doesn't mean I don't see it," Narcissa interrupted. "I can see that you've barely spoken to her since January. I can see that you're avoiding her but she wants to make nice with you. I can see that it's not affecting you as much as I thought it was. All you do is stay around Francis even more but Bella- Bella doesn't have anyone else besides you and me, not really. She's lonely."

Andromeda bit her lip as she looked up at her golden younger sister. "Nothing really happened. We're just growing apart. You've done it from both of us almost the instant you came to Hogwarts."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Because I'm not mad at you, I just have different friends, more friends."

"Who said I was mad at Bella?"

"You're avoiding her. I'm not stupid. I may not be hauled up the library all the time like you've been this year but I'm not stupid. Why haven't you been there anyway? You haven't been there in-"

"I got banned for a month. It's over in a couple days."

"You got banned? For what?"

"Being too noisy."

Narcissa gave her a strange look and then shrugged returning to her previous topic. "So will you tell me what happened? What did Bella say?" Andromeda looked at her younger sister and debated heavily in her head whether or not to tell her. She knew Narcissa wasn't one for killing either but she didn't know how exactly her sister would react. And in part, she wanted to protect Bellatrix from anyone else. It hadn't escaped Andromeda's notice that Bellatrix had grown lonelier while she was at school. She seemed happy enough when she came back from her meetings but often times she grew sadder as time passed. If Andromeda told Narcissa and Narcissa started to avoid Bellatrix too, what would happen? She didn't like to think about it. It hurt her to think of Bellatrix being lonely. There were times in the common room where Andromeda wanted to rush across to her older sister and throw her arms around her. A simple thought at what she'd done usually kept Andromeda in place long enough to distract herself with something or someone else.

"She told me not to tell you," she told Narcissa.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you don't need to know," she said with a sense of finality in her tone. She changed back to the first topic, "Go with him Cissy."

"No," Narcissa replied, suddenly calm. "I'm stronger than that. I can choose someone better, but thank you for the advice. Please don't tell anyone else about this. Good-night Annie," she said turning and leaving her sister in the dungeon with the sort of perfect grace and calmness that Andromeda knew meant her little sister was just playing the role she thought she needed to play. She wondered if her advice had any affect at all; she wondered if she wouldn't be better off listening to Narcissa, instead of Narcissa listening to her.

**This is another chapter that just kind of weaseled its way in to my story after I thought I had it mostly written. Grr to rambling post-plot bunnies. At least I like this chapter better than that chapter with Andromeda and Ted and the double entendres, and it explains Martin's leaving. Anyway, in love with opinions so reviews are lovely.**


	14. Part 1: Chapter 13

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_May 1969_

Two days later, she was allowed to go back to studying in the library. Yesterday, Francis had been planning to skip right along beside her on the way to the library. They were going to spend the whole day at a table, relishing in the peace of the room full of books. Unfortunately, there had been a major hitch in their plan. The flu was going around the school. Not an ordinary flu that made a student throw up in the morning, go to Madam Frist for a potion and be back in class by noon. This was a magic bug that required sticking around in the hospital wing for a couple of days while every cough brought on an unintentional spell, utterly draining the energy of the virus's host. Francis had come to her this morning, saying she felt bad and then, promptly, had gotten into a coughing fit and changed all the empty plates on the breakfast table into rubber ducks. The effort had nearly exhausted her, and Andromeda had half dragged her to the hospital wing while Lucius Malfoy complained about not having anything to eat off of. So Andromeda was going to grab some books for Francis and bring them to her bedside before prefect duty tonight.

That was the other thing. Half of the prefects were sick. Professor Slughorn had told her she needed to patrol tonight; there was no way around it. Her stomach did cartwheels as she had realized that once again, she was patrolling with Ted. Growling under her breath again at the thought, at herself, Andromeda passed Madam Pince wordlessly and headed for the section on docile plants. Francis wanted to study for Herbology. She was digging around the shelf when she heard footsteps come up to her and stop. Andromeda was kneeling towards the bottom of the shelves and looked over at the feet, half covered by a pair of black robes. The shoes were sneakers, possibly once white and now a worn grayish color with patches of mud. Her eyes traveled up to the person's face, staring him in the eyes for a moment wordlessly before they both awkwardly looked away.

"I'm sorry," Ted said, a flush coming to his face. Andromeda turned her eyes back to him, startled.

"What for?" His expression was confused as he looked back at her.

"What do you mean what?" he asked. "For, you know, what happened back- when we- when I- the hands- you've been avoiding me I thought that was-"

"I wasn't avoiding you for taking my hands," Andromeda said in a quick whisper and then wished she hadn't. There was her ready excuse, her ticket out. She could have laid into him, told him he had stepped over the boundary line.

"Then why were you?" Andromeda made a show of looking at the clock and then quickly grabbing the book she had been looking for.

"I have to run to get this to Francis. Madam Frist demanded nobody come in and bother them past four," she rattled off and dashed away from him. There was no such rule. Madam Frist was fine with visitors until six at least, possibly later. Andromeda spent two hours in the hospital wing, reviewing with Francis before heading to dinner. Still, there was no way she wouldn't find herself waiting to start patrolling with Ted Tonks that night.

For a while, they walked in silence. Then Ted began to break the silence by talking about school and the upcoming exams. Andromeda asked him about his family especially his sister which led to brief stories of games Andromeda and her sisters would play when they were very young. They began giggling over the newest band of wizards that had half the girls in school pinned to the wireless and hanging posters in their dorms. They discussed the stress of O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s and the careers they wanted them to lead towards. They talked about Ted's latest experiments in the greenhouses and the flu spread around the school.

"It's the worst possible time too," Andromeda commented. "I mean, exams are in less than a month and everyone is in a frenzy to study and suddenly they've coughing up spells."

"Or rubber ducks."

"I meant to ask Francis what those things are for," Andromeda said in wonderment. "She only told me what they were called when I brought her to the hospital wing. She said her dad found them amusing when he was at a muggle's house one time and had bought some of his own."

"Why didn't you ask her this afternoon when you went to see her?" Ted asked.

"I forgot," she admitted honestly as they began trekked down the stairs from the Astronomy tower. They hadn't had to go in. A class could be heard on the other side of the door.

"They're a toy in the bathtub," he told her. "They're used to keep kids entertained while their parents attack their hair with shampoo and claim it won't hurt their eyes." He shook his head. "It's amazing I still trust my parents." Andromeda laughed a little. "Do wizarding parents do the same thing?"

"I don't know," Andromeda confessed. "My parents didn't bathe my sisters or me."

"You must have been awfully smelly at times," Ted concluded, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I mean, the house elf was the one who took care of that kind of thing."

"So your parents just got to do the fun stuff then?" Ted asked with a grin as Andromeda opened the door to an unused classroom, thinking she heard noises inside. Ted followed behind her, both of them hearing a rattling noise coming from the inside of one of the dusty desks.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, walking towards it. There was a note on the desk. 'Saving for a D.A.D.A. class. Please do not dispose of. McGonagall' "It must be a Boggart. McGonagall's substituting for a couple of Martin's old classes," she decided, moving back towards the door.

"I meant, like reading stories, playing with you, teaching you to walk and talk and sing the alphabet." Andromeda snorted.

"Hardly. We played with ourselves. Bella and I told stories to Cissy and looked through books on our own. Tutors taught us the alphabet. Walking and talking I'll admit they helped with but only to teach us the right way."

"You mean the Black way," Ted suggested, a tinge of darkness on his voice. Andromeda paused and turned around to look at him. Faint light from the moon, the stars, and from other windows in the castle was gleaming in, showing the swirls of dust in the air.

"Yes," Andromeda agreed stiffly.

"Which you don't always use."

"Of course I do. What else would I use? I'm a Black. I doubt people would recognize me if I didn't." She hoisted herself up on the teacher desk, still facing Ted, her legs dangling down the front of the desk.

"You're right there. They probably wouldn't. But then again, would that be such a bad thing?"

"It would be a bad thing for me not to act like a Black," Andromeda said suspiciously, staring him down.

"Would it?" he asked, coming nearer to her.

"Yes. It's what I am."

"Because you haven't been acting much like a Black around me." Andromeda kept looking at him in the eyes, fighting the urge to look away. "You talk to me even though both my parents are muggles, you actually act vaguely concerned about my life, you ask questions about muggle objects," he paused, looking her straight in the eye, "and if I'm not mistaken, you're not totally disgusted by my having a crush on you." Finally, Andromeda broke all eye contact, looking down at her knees. "Am I mistaken?" he asked cautiously. She didn't answer but stared at her hands. Bellatrix and Narcissa would have been ashamed to see her looking this unsure of herself. Then again, Bellatrix and Narcissa would have been ashamed no matter what if they heard this conversation she was having with a mud-blood. But maybe that was the point. Maybe that was where part of this had come from. She was ashamed of them, or at least Bellatrix. Shouldn't she get her fair turn? "I mean, if you haven't been avoiding me because I held hands with you then I don't know what else to think other than you don't mind my crush. I mean you might even- I mean, I think you might have a crush on-"

"Stop," Andromeda instructed. "I can't, Ted. I just can't. I mean, you know what-" she stopped suddenly as something warm and soft briefly brushed against her lips. She looked up at Ted, a blush spreading across his face. Her own cheeks felt slightly warm as she looked at his mouth, knowing it had just fitted itself, for an instant, against her own. "Ted," she said softly, trying to form the words to yell at him, to scream and shout and tell him all the ways he was wrong for letting his dirty lips touch hers. She couldn't force her voice. "Ted, I'm engaged."

"To who?" he practically shouted in surprise.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," she answered meekly.

"For love?"

The possibility of lying briefly occurred to her but she couldn't bear to do it. It would sound so silly anyway. She was too young and had never before mentioned Rodolphus. "What do you think?" she asked, dropping down from the desk and beginning to head for the door. Ted grabbed one of her hands and she paused, turning back to him.

"I think your family told you to. I think you're going to go through with it because you're afraid of what your sisters would think but not because of you parents because you aren't any closer to them than you are to the muggle Prime Minister. I think I like you and you like me and we should try and see where it will go, even if we have to keep it a secret."

"But I do care what my parents think," she answered, her hand feeling the curves of Ted's hand, her fingers intertwining with his. His hand was still soft and she thought she could feel the dirt but it was warm and seemed to seep around her smaller hand. "Ted I'm not sure what they would do to me, do to you, if they found out that we were even friends."

"Are we friends then?"

"Ted you know we are," she looked at him, her eyes wide. She willed herself not to cry. If she wasn't acting like a Black in anything else tonight, she must at least refrain from crying. "But we shouldn't be. I shouldn't want to be. I shouldn't- Just with you, everything is something I shouldn't be doing or thinking or feeling."

"So we'll keep it a secret. We won't tell anyone, just see how it goes. I like you, you like me. We can be secret. Dromeda, what do _you_ want?" Andromeda looked at him very quietly. She thought about Bellatrix, leaving her all the time for a man she never fully spoke about. She thought about Narcissa, constantly absorbed in gossip and idle affairs. She thought of her parents demanding and absent. She thought about Rodolphus and her chances of ever getting to do what she wanted, not what was wanted of her. She thought about the kiss, not her first but the first one she _had_ really wanted, and the zap through her body, the thrill, the warmth, living. Wasn't that what Bellatrix had been talking about, living? Why should she wait to live when the opportunity was so readily in front of her and who knew how long it would last? A flame often quickly died.

"I want to be with you for right now," she breathed softly, her other hand connecting with his. "Just right now, without anyone else knowing."

"Agreed. No one knowing is best right now," he whispered. She glanced at the clock, noticing it was nearly time for them to leave.

"And I want you to kiss me goodnight and then for us to walk back as though nothing has happened."

Ted agreed again, this time, with another soft kiss. And this time, she kissed back.

**This chapter is almost complete fluff. I'm sorry. Next chapter is depressing-ish and the chapter or two after that are darker. (The next three are during the summer so more Bella and Cissy). I'm working on Part 2 right now which is after the two darkish chapters. I'm currently debating whether I should call it part 2 or make a new story.**

**Review with opinion please. I'm sorry if I didn't reply to reviews last time. I can't remember if I did or didn't! Things have been so hectic. Thank you for any reviews given!**


	15. Part 1: Chapter 14

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. I really shouldn't be updating this story right now. I wanted to stay a certain number of chapters ahead but now I'm not sure what I want to write for the next chapters (well, the next one or two are pretty clear). Originally this story was like, over a hundred pages but then I changed some things and it doesn't all fit.**

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_June 1969_

"Annie!" Regulus squealed, running into her arms. Andromeda caught him in her arms, laughing.

"You're getting too big for me, Reg," she told him, hugging him as she moved him to the ground. Sirius came into the room smiling as Regulus went and jumped around Bellatrix and Narcissa. "How long have you guys been here?" Andromeda asked, wrapping her arms around Sirius.

"Only for today," Sirius told her. "Our mother wanted to talk to Bella when she got back."

"Great. I couldn't ask for a better welcome than Aunt Walburga asking me why I have no suitors. Perhaps I ought to tell her that I've fallen madly for some mud-blood. It would scare her to death." Bellatrix began to snort as Narcissa shook her head.

"You shouldn't even joke like that Bella. What an awful idea."

"Oh, I know. But imagine Aunt's face if I said it." Narcissa sighed and began to walk towards the stairs.

"I'm going to my room. Tell me how it turns out if you decide to tell her that," she sneered back at Bellatrix.

"What's wrong with her?" Sirius asked Bellatrix.

"Simple. She's in love for the first time and it's not with her intended beau."

"She told you that?" Andromeda asked in surprise.

"Don't be ridiculous. She has enough sense to keep her mouth shut about such matters. I read her diary when she fell asleep on the train."

"Of course," Andromeda sighed, mostly to herself. She found herself very glad that she could never manage to keep a diary for more than two days.

"Cissy has a diary?" Sirius asked, looking up brightly.

"I wonder where she keeps it?" Regulus pondered excitedly.

"Bellatrix!" someone called through the house from the parlor. Both Bellatrix and Andromeda began to walk towards the room, Sirius and Regulus trailing along behind. Andromeda could hear Narcissa turning around on the stairs.

"We don't wish to speak to you at the moment," their mother said, her eyes darting over Andromeda and then over Narcissa as she entered. "Your marriages are already settled. It's Bellatrix and Bellatrix alone I wish to speak to."

"Hello to you too mother," Andromeda muttered under her breath as they left the room, closing the door behind them. Sirius giggled and Regulus smiled widely. Narcissa only shook her head and began heading for the stairs again. Andromeda sighed. Perhaps she ought to go talk to Narcissa about Aias Burke again.

"I'll be right back," she told her cousins, her eyes on her sister's back. "Did you guys bring Spot?"

"Yeah, he's in the backyard," Regulus told her, beaming with pride.

"He's a lot bigger now than he was at Christmas," Sirius added.

"I'd like to see him. I'll meet you guys out there later, okay?" Somewhat sadly, they both nodded and left the room for the backyard while Andromeda headed up the stairs to her sister's room. Her feet padded along the hall until she got to the right door and knocked on it, waiting for a reply. She got none, and decided to just walk in. Narcissa was curled up on the bed staring absently at a book, her eyes vacant enough that there was no way she could have been reading.

"I didn't tell you to come in," Narcissa said quietly. Andromeda ignored her and went to sit down on the foot of the bed. Narcissa sat up, dropping the book on the bed and looked over at her sister.

"When have I ever waited for you to let me in?" Andromeda asked. "You seemed so sure about not seeing him. What happened?" Narcissa shrugged, looking down and studying her long fingers. Andromeda scooted closer to her sister and put her arm around Narcissa's shoulder, drawing her near. Her blonde head fell onto her shoulder as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I don't want to like him," she cried, tears beginning to soak into Andromeda's robes. "He likes me, Annie, really likes me not just- I don't act and he likes me. I've never had someone like me like that before, not except you and Bella before we started school. I've never _liked_ someone like this before. He makes me feel-" she stopped, choked up by tears and she nuzzled closer to Andromeda, her blonde hair falling like a curtain over her face and Andromeda's shoulder. "I-I can't do this! I shouldn't like him. I shouldn't! I don't _want_ to. I don't want to. How do I make it stop? Annie, how do I stop liking someone?"

"I don't know," Andromeda said softly as she leaned forward and kissed the top of Narcissa's head. "I- I don't think you ever really do if you like them that much. I think they always have a piece of your heart."

"But I didn't want to give it to him," Narcissa sniffled, sitting up straighter. Andromeda's arm was still around her waist. "And people get over people. They do it all the time. How?"

"I didn't say they always have the same size piece of your heart. Just always part of it. It never goes away, the people you love."

"I didn't say I-"

"He's you're friend right?" Andromeda asked her. Narcissa nodded. "Then you love him, at very least as a friend. And since you mixed that love with liking romantically, then it hurts to give him a smaller piece of your heart."

"Does it hurt you too?"

"I haven't liked someone that way," Andromeda told her, trying to push her small, growing romance with Ted Tonks out of her mind.

"I mean with Bella. You love her but you're giving her a smaller piece." Andromeda bit her lip, thinking about lying but she knew Narcissa could see through her very easily.

"Yes. Cissy it's one of the most painful things ever when I think about how close we used to be."

"But not when you don't think about it?" she asked, her blue eyes still wet with tears.

"When I don't think about it, it's like a stomachache that I have all the time but I manage to forget for a while. And every time I forget about it, it gets a little easier to forget the next time."

"But it'll never stop completely." Andromeda shook her head. "Not even if you and Bella went back?"

"I don't think there is a going back. There might be a way to make things better but to take them back to the way they were- I don't think that's possible."

"Annie, what happened?" Narcissa asked, her eyes wide. Andromeda shook her head, staring off into space. "She's done something bad, hasn't she? Something you can't fix."

"Fix?"

"You've always been able to fix everything. Sirius and Regulus come running to you like Bella and I did when we had cuts and bruises because even if you couldn't actually make them better, you at least made us feel better. You could make me laugh every time somebody said something mean when we were little and you could make Bella's temper calm down. But you can't fix everything can you?"

"I can't fix hearts and souls the way I can fix bruises and tears. I'm not strong enough," Andromeda admitted, "but even if I can't actually make it right, can I at least make you feel a little better?" she asked, giving Narcissa a small smile and found a pair of arms flung around her neck as Narcissa hugged her hard. She wrapped her arms around her sister's waist as best she could while still sitting on the bed. She could hear Narcissa sniffling again and began to feel tears threatening to fall from her own eyes but she fought them back. She wasn't sure how long they sat there but finally Narcissa pulled back and gave a grim sort of smile.

"Thank you."

"I'm always here," Andromeda reminded her. "We might have our own friends but you've always known I'm here, right?"

"I think sometimes I forget." They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Narcissa spoke again. "I think I want to forget about him."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I want to forget about him." Andromeda brushed back her sister's hair on the edge, wet from her tears and kissed the top of her blonde head. The door creaked open and Bellatrix walked in, standing in the doorway a moment, taking in the scene. Narcissa looked over, her eyes free of fresh tears. Her eyes caught on Bellatrix's.

"Don't cry anymore Cissy," Bellatrix said, coming to sit on her other side. Andromeda still had her arm around her sister, rubbing her back. Bellatrix put her arm around Narcissa as well, resting her dark head on Narcissa's fair one.

"I'm okay. I have Annie," Narcissa answered. Bellatrix looked over at Andromeda, her eyes full of hurt and sadness. Guilt seized at Andromeda's stomach. It wasn't only her heart that had a piece shrinking right now. Bellatrix was hurting too. Hastily she extracted herself from Narcissa's bed.

"I'm going to go talk to Sirius and Regulus," Andromeda said. "If you're alright with that Cissy?"

"I'm going to be fine," she replied. Andromeda nodded and slid off the bed, heading down the stairs to her cousins. Looking through the window of the backdoor, she saw that they were leaping about in the backyard with the dog, laughing and tumbling. She wanted to be that old again. She remembered the summer before Bellatrix had left for Hogwarts. Andromeda had been the same age as Sirius. And they had just played and been left alone, sure that someday they would marry a pureblood and start a family, no questions of whether or not they would fall in love in their minds. But now she felt herself standing on the brink. Andromeda had never been in love, not really. She had loved her family and her small amount of friends, yes, and she'd had her fair share of crushes, even a couple of kisses, but she'd never been in love with a boy. But somehow, in her mind, it registered that if she kept going, kept liking Ted, she was going to fall in love with him. And if she thought about it, she wanted to know what it was like to love someone like that. Maybe it was rebellion, maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was plain out stupidity, but Andromeda wanted to be in love; she wanted a chance to try it. She pushed open the door to the backyard and stepped outside.

"Sss, sss, sss," Sirius said, his tongue near the roof of his mouth as he looked at Spot. The dog tilted his head, looking back at Sirius curiously. With a sigh, he hit at his thigh and the dog came rushing forward. "Be warned Gryffindor, I shall take control of this school and free it from all mud-bloods. Here beside me is my snake, who listens only to me."

"Why do I always have to be Gryffindor?" Regulus whined.

"Because I'm older and I'm going to be in Slytherin first," Sirius said smugly.

"How come you're so sure you're going to be in Slytherin?" Andromeda asked.

"Because that's the house you're in Annie."

"But I won't even be there anymore," she pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. I want to be like you," he decided.

"Me too!" Regulus chimed in. "I want to be like Annie."

"Well you still have to be Gryffindor now," Sirius told him. Regulus glared.

"Fine then, but I get my trained lion!" Regulus yelled back. He tapped his thigh and called Spot over to him. Andromeda laughed and Regulus looked over at her with wide eyes. "Who are you going to be Annie?"

"I'll be- I'll be Lady Ravenclaw. You will have to rescue me from the terrifying dragon," she decided, calling Spot to her. The dog looked reluctantly between his two boy owners but then Andromeda pulled some left over Bertie Botts Beans, possibly bacon flavored, from her pocket and the dog came running towards her. She laughed a little as the two boys pretended to duel, occasionally throwing dirt, grass, or flowers at each other to substitute for flashes of light, while she sat and played with the dog. Sirius would win, not only because he was bigger but because he was playing Slytherin, the idol of the Black house. Andromeda smiled. Sirius wanted to be in Slytherin because she was there. Slytherins did they're best to get what they wanted. That was why Narcissa would get over Aias Burke, why Bellatrix would continue to follow her mystery man, and why Andromeda, she realized, was not going to stop liking Ted Tonks anytime soon.

**There is a poll up for this story on my profile page so you should go look at it!**

**Please review if you read anyway!  
**


	16. Part 1: Chapter 15

**I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. **

_Part I- It Started Out as a Feeling_

_July 1969_

_Dear Dromeda,_

_So I had this idea you see. Kind of a strange one I'll admit but I was wondering if I could perhaps see a certain girl sometime this summer. See, I kind of like this girl and I think she kind of likes me back, possibly because right after dinner, the last time I saw her before leaving school, I met her in the Entrance Hall and she got me over to the side and gave me this incredible kiss good-bye before running off somewhere. It could just be that she's a Slytherin though and everyone knows what they get up to in their co-ed dormitories. Maybe with a seventh of those Slytherin boys leaving, she needed someone to help her release her energies._

Andromeda rolled her eyes as she looked over the start of his letter and then glanced back at her door before reading further. It was open a crack because if she closed it all the way, Bellatrix or Narcissa were sure to come by and ask why her door was shut. Well, no, Narcissa actually. Bellatrix had left about an hour ago but Andromeda didn't know when she would be back. She looked back at the letter, which she was reading with it shoved inside a book so it didn't look suspicious if someone decided to just come in anyway.

_More to the point, Brian got that assistant management job at Flourish and Blotts (which let me tell you is a good thing because we were having hard time coming up with rent and all those other living expenses while he was only working as a waiter at the Leaky Cauldron) so I thought of an idea. You might be able to come to Diagon Alley to get a book and I could oh-so-conveniently happen to be there with, what do you know, said book that you would then buy from me (actually Brian who's actually gotten it from work) and we could perhaps be in each other's company for an hour or two if you happen to say Flourish and Blotts was waiting for a shipment on the book and so you wandered to other bookstores. And during that time we could talk or you could show me more of your incredible kissing ability, or, we could do what we do best, and argue for a while. We could wander into muggle London so there's less chance of being seen. Say Thursday around ten?_

Andromeda sighed. Now she had yet another reason to hate her Aunt Cassiopeia's visits. Aunt Cassiopeia, actually her great-aunt, was a thorn in Andromeda's side. She had little liking for any of her grandnieces and nephews, even Narcissa and Regulus who were very good at pleasing any of the Black relatives. But she had taken an especially disliking for Andromeda seeing as she was "the closest thing an unmarried woman gets to a namesake in this family." From the time she was very small, Aunt Cassiopeia had taken every opportunity possible to criticize her, even sometimes refraining from critiquing someone else in favor of yelling at Andromeda. And the horrid woman was coming on Thursday, all day, and she had requested that Andromeda be there so that she could "see the lovely young woman now that she was the oldest witch under-age in the family." Andromeda snorted as she thought of the sickeningly sweet letter, such a contrast to her actual aunt.

_So pretty good O.W.L.'s scores you got there, dear almost Ravenclaw. And quite good especially for someone who wants to be a healer. Or pop out lovely pureblooded children with a husband she doesn't like. But I think you'd do better as a healer, just my personal opinion. Not trying to influence you in any way shape or form. At all. I would never, ever do a thing like that. Just pointing things out, laying them down in a lovely little flowchart for your use._

Ted Tonks, the boy who never gave up. Stubborn arse, Andromeda thought.

_Work's pretty good, thanks. I get to work in with the experimentals now on Tuesdays. Just watch them during the day, sadly, but if I prove myself, I might be able to work there for most of the time and do my own experiments. I really want to try this one combination with- you know what, never mind. I've mentioned it to Brian and he says I could put him to sleep better than Binns. A ridiculously sad statement if you ask me but I guess I can save the topic for when I see you and I want an excuse to drag you into my bed. That way, I can still be a perfect gentleman and get total points with the guys._

Andromeda narrowed her eyes at the paper, imagining his smirk as he wrote those lines. Stupid Ted.

_Anyway, I'd better end this letter because Brian's trying to cook and let me tell you, he can't cook. I can though but he insisted tonight. I think we're probably going to order take-out. Just maybe. Okay definitely judging by the smell. Bye!_

_Ted_

_P.S. The flat didn't burn down but we definitely need to get out of here a while to get away from the smell. I'm grateful I caught the owl before she flew away to get out of the stench._

With a smile on her face, Andromeda looked towards the door again, her ears straining for any noise. She didn't hear any at all. She got up from her bed where she had been laying on her stomach with the book that held Ted's letter on her pillow and walked to her desk where she grabbed another book, a self-inking quill, and a piece of paper.

_Dear Ted,_

_Perhaps this mystery girl is in Slytherin and perhaps there are many rumors that the Slytherin boys and girls share dorms. But that is nothing compared to the rumors about what the Ravenclaws do in the three broom cupboards by their common room. But because of the rumors that fly around, I'm sure this girl would take it as a compliment that you think she is a good kisser because of all the experience you must have had. I would recommend you tell her. Then again, you might not want to because it might go to her head and she'd have more "energy" to release with the boys in her dormitory._

Laughing a little at herself, Andromeda tapped the fluffy end of her quill against her paper as she tried to decide what to write next. She glanced back at the door, then back at the letter Ted had written her, and found herself reading it again. _Dear Dromeda,_

_Kiss good-bye._

_O.W.L.'s._

_Binns._

_Can't cook._

_Dromeda._

_Thursday…_

"Annie! Annie, wake up! Please Annie!" Narcissa whined, dragging her sister from sleep.

"What's wrong?" Andromeda asked, sitting up in bed. Her body had rolled so that the letter she had been writing was jammed against the wall and her letter from Ted was still lying in her book. Hopefully Narcissa hadn't seen, and there was at least a chance she hadn't since Andromeda's forehead had been over it a moment ago. She was also desperately hoping there was a real reason for Narcissa waking her up.

"It's Bella. She's in my room and I think she's very sick," Narcissa said, grabbing Andromeda's hand and dragging her from the room. Andromeda followed, dashing after her younger sister through the hall. Bellatrix was in Narcissa's room, leaning against the wall. Her complexion looked slightly green and there was no hint of her usual graceful posture in the way she was slumped. After taking her in as she dashed into the doorway, Andromeda skidded to the floor, putting her hand to her sister's forehead. She was burning up.

"Cissy, go get my wand. It's on the nightstand in my room," she directed.

"But it's sum-"

"Now, Narcissa!" Andromeda demanded. Narcissa nodded and dashed out of the room, lightly enough that the old boards didn't make a noise. "Bella," Andromeda said quietly, "can you get up at all? Bella, can you? If you can, I'm going to try and get you to Cissy's bed okay?" She pulled with as much of her strength as she could to get Bellatrix to her feet and then let her sister lean against her shoulder, leading her to Narcissa's bed. Wordlessly, Narcissa grabbed Bellatrix's other arm and put it around her thin shoulder when she entered the room, helping lead Bellatrix to the bed.

"Here go," she whispered, handing Andromeda her wand.

"Thanks." She lit the lamps in the room with her wand and lean down by her older sister who still hadn't said a word. "Do you know what happened, Cissy?" she asked.

"No, she just came into my room and fell down on the floor. I didn't know what had happened at first, I just heard this loud thump. She was calling for you when I left but she didn't sound good." Andromeda nodded as she put her wand to her sister's forehead, trying to siphon off the fever. It wasn't working.

"Magic," Bellatrix coughed out.

"She's trying to use magic, Bella," Narcissa cried, getting up on the bed to sit next to her sister.

"No, magic like the cause is magic. She can't be healed normally," Andromeda translated. She looked around frantically. "Accio washcloth," she cast, pointing towards the bathroom. It came zooming towards her. With her wand she made it cold and leaned it against Bellatrix's forehead before beginning to check over her body for some sign of a curse or hex. Narcissa crept closer to Bellatrix and put her smaller hand around her oldest sister's right hand. As Andromeda's hand brushed over Bellatrix's left arm, both of them howled in pain. Quickly, and despite her sister's protests and her own burning hand, Andromeda pulled up the sleeve revealing a very fresh tattoo on her sister's left arm.

"What is it?" Narcissa asked with a heavy breath.

"I don't know," Andromeda whispered. Her fingers lightly danced just over the mark on her sister's arm, not daring to touch it, afraid to send Bellatrix into more pain and to set her hand burning like before. "Accio ice!" Andromeda called out in a whisper. She took the washcloth from Bellatrix's head and unfolded it just as the ice came into her hand. She wrapped the washcloth around the ice and put in gently on Bellatrix's new tattoo. Bellatrix began to swear with vulgar enough words to make Narcissa jump back and Andromeda stare at her with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" Andromeda called, hoping their parents hadn't woken up. She doubted they would. Normally they had a spell on their bedroom door so that they couldn't here what was going on outside of it.

"Annie," Bellatrix whined. "Annie, I'm go-" Suddenly she leaned over the side of the bed and vomited over the floor. Narcissa wrinkled her nose and began to dance around. Andromeda pointed her wand at it and cleaned it up.

"Well now, if you haven't eaten since dinner, you can't have much else in your stomach that you need to get rid of," Andromeda said, rubbing her sister's back as she gently lowered her back onto the bed. Gingerly, Narcissa came back to the bed and sat down next to Bellatrix again.

"You're just going to have to wait this out if it's from a spell, Bella," Andromeda told her, leaning close to her sister, knowing there was no going to St. Mungo's. Bellatrix closed her eyes, breathing heavily. It had briefly crossed Andromeda's mind to find a counter curse but then she had seen the tattoo. It was a skull intertwined with snakes. Her impression was that this was by Bellatrix's 'Dark Lord' and even if Andromeda could find the counter curse, Bellatrix would hate her to use it.

**Okay, so I think I've decided (with help so thank you!) that I'm going to continue this story in Andromeda's perspective as a part two. I may, however, be posting a one-shot in Narcissa's perspective with the next chapter if anyone's interested.**


	17. Part 1: Chapter 16

**I don't own Harry Potter**

_August 1969_

Andromeda went into the kitchen that morning, one of the first ones awake. Her father was the only other person in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee while he read through a letter, that, with its official seal, Andromeda assumed was from the Ministry. A copy of the Daily Prophet was lying on the table, untouched. She glanced at her father, but he seemed absorbed in the letter so she picked up the paper. "Does Miss Black require anything?" asked their house elf. She didn't answer, her eyes glued to the newspaper, reading as quickly as possible. The house elf rocked on her feet and caught the attention of Andromeda's father. "Stop that Dolly," he commanded. Immediately the house elf stopped as Andromeda dropped the paper, staring at it with wide eyes. Her father raised an eyebrow and reached forward to grab it now that he had finished his letter but Andromeda suddenly came to her senses, grabbed the paper from him, not caring that she was crumpling it, and jerked back her chair harshly enough that it toppled backwards as she began running away from the kitchen.

"Andromeda!" he hollered. "Behave yourself!" She hardly heard him as she ran up the stairs, the paper in her hand and banged in Bellatrix's door, her eyes flaring with rage. Bellatrix was getting into her pajamas, looking worn out.

"Annie, have you been worried while I was gone?" she asked with a slight grin. "I didn't mean to-" she stopped, now really seeing Andromeda's eyes, full of fury and disappointment and grief.

"I quit," she said, her voice low, dark, hoarse. "As any form of your conscience, I quit because mine can't take what you've done anymore."

"Annie, I wasn't the one to go after-"

"Don't lie! You went after them!"

"I meant I didn't go after the stupid muggles!" she yelled back in her defense. "I didn't fight the defenseless, I fought the traitors! He trusts me with them! I am his most loyal-"

"You've been playing slut for the man, the lunatic, who organ-"

"The Dark Lord is more of a man than anyone you'll ever see!" Bellatrix said, darting across the room at a speed that rivaled her change in emotions, her wand out and pointed right at her sister's throat. Andromeda thought rather than felt she was afraid. Her emotions were too scrambled to register anything correctly.

"Voldemort. Don't you mean Voldemort?" she hissed. The wand jabbed deeper into her throat, throwing off sparks that burnt her. It was getting hard to breath and Andromeda again thought rather than felt, this time her pain and her struggle for air.

"How dare you say his name! _I_ am not worthy to say his name so how can you be, you who called him a lunatic! He is far saner than anyone in generations, in all time! He is willing to do what everyone else has been far too afraid to do! He is going to save us and you would do well to remember it!" she yelled, finally pulling her wand from Andromeda's throat and throwing her across the room, causing her to tumble to her stomach, her jaw, biting into her tongue and causing it to bleed. Panting heavily, blood dripping from her mouth, Andromeda got to her knees and began edging her way to her feet.

"Annie! Bella! What's going on?" Narcissa asked, rushing into the room. Her mind, emotions, and pain still disconnected, Andromeda worked up as much spit and blood as she could and sprayed it onto Bellatrix's floor and then turned her back on her older sister, shoving the paper into Narcissa's hands as she left the room giving up protecting her sisters from each other. It was a hopeless case if Bellatrix was willing to go this far. She didn't see Bellatrix's reaction; she didn't care. No matter what happened, there were some things that couldn't be forgiven. Behind her she heard Narcissa drop the paper and leave the room, and a glance showed Narcissa, unable to hide the horror on her face. Tears were welling in her blue eyes. Andromeda was still outraged.

Fifteen found dead. The headline of the paper proclaimed it. Andromeda ran into her room and slammed the door, sure that one of her parents would come, or would at least send the house elf, to scold her soon.

Eleven of them had been underaged or incapable of magic. Six of those had been muggles. Eight had been children. Andromeda sank down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow.

Three families had been attacked: a muggle family with a grandfather, a married couple, and their three children; a younger couple, muggle-borns, both rising in their careers in the ministry along with their two-year-old son and baby daughter; and a family of five purebloods, viewed, Andromeda knew, as blood-traitors to people like her sister, a married couple and their three children, one who was due to start Hogwarts in four days.

"Annie, what happened?" a voice asked at the doorway and she turned up her head to see Sirius and Regulus standing there, their eyes wide. She wondered if her aunt or uncle had gotten the paper and decided to stop by and discuss it with her parents.

"We tried to ask Bella after we heard you yell," Sirius went on after his brother, "but she wouldn't talk to us." He was nine and Regulus was eight. Two of the murdered children had been the same ages. Andromeda could barely comprehend that someone so young had probably gone to bed last night, living, breathing, probably wishing to stay up a little later, and then being killed by a stranger in the night. She tried to open her mouth to explain, to tell them what had happened but she couldn't. Tears began to flood her eyes.

"Annie, what happened?" Regulus repeated, walking across the room to her bed. Sirius followed more reluctantly. Again she tried to answer but a lump had grown in her throat, preventing her from speaking without breaking out in sobs. Regulus reached out and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her neck and she grabbed him, holding him close, while Sirius edged nearer, ending up sitting on the bed behind her.

"What did happen?" Sirius asked quietly.

"Something that needed to be done. A message needed to be sent," Bellatrix said. Andromeda looked up from over Regulus's head and released her younger cousin, still staying close to him.

"Get out of my room," she demanded, her voice low. A look of shock came over Regulus's face. Andromeda imagined there was a similar one on Sirius's face but he was sitting behind her.

"Annie, I know-"

"Murderer. Get out!" she ordered. Regulus stared wide-eyed.

"No. Not until I make you understand."

"You can't make me understand."

"I can," Bellatrix persisted. "Or at least I partially can."

"I don't want to listen."

"You're too compassionate for your own damn good Andromeda," Bellatrix growled. "The idea of death makes you cringe, even if it's just them, for muggles, just stupid muggles and blood traitors."

"You could go to Azkaban. They'll lock you up for life when they find out it was you."

"Not after this war is over. We will be the winners in this war."

"I won't be a murderer like you," Andromeda hissed. She felt Regulus shift beside her and alerting her to her cousins' presence. "Sirius, Regulus, go."

"No stay. Let them hear," Bellatrix redirected. "Let them hear the truth, Annie. They're going to hear it all."

"They won't do what you have done!" Andromeda demanded. "Let them go."

"Let them stay. You don't know what they will do for the cause. How do you know-"

"I won't!" Sirius spoke up. "I won't kill anybody. I don't want to."

"Me either," Regulus said, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't want to either. Bella I don't want to. In all the stories, only the bad guys kill people." He leaned against Andromeda and she put her arms around him again, settling him in her lap although he was really too big to fit there anymore.

"Oh don't they?" Bellatrix asked him. "Don't the good guys kill the bad guys in the end?" Her eyes flashed towards Andromeda's. "This is the end, Reg. The bad guys have to be killed." He watched her carefully along with his brother but Andromeda still glared at her.

"They didn't do anything. Over half of them were muggles or children."

"If it weren't for muggles, we wouldn't have to hide!"

"So what are you going to do? Eliminate all of them? Wipe them from existence? You can't do that Bellatrix. Even if, for some reason, you don't think it's wrong, you have to know it's statistically impossible. You can't do it!"

Bellatrix's lips pursed together and she glared at Andromeda, though it was not her full on glare. There was a pensive thought buried in it. When she spoke again, her voice was remarkably cool. "Of course not. You're right, there is no way to eliminate all of them, anymore than there's a way to eliminate all the other rodents from the Earth. And of course he knows that as well. All we were doing was sending a message, that's all."

"Who's he?" Sirius asked, looking between the two of us.

"The man Bella's in love with," Andromeda answered harshly, her eyes on her sister.

"That's right," Bellatrix agreed, a smile creeping on to her face. "You've finally got something through your head."

"Is Bella going to get married and leave us?" Regulus asked sadly.

"We were sending a message Annie," Bellatrix said, ignoring his question.

"I found owls work quite well for me."

"We needed something with more point, something that would show how far we are willing to go."

"What are you guys talking about?" Sirius insisted, a scowl on his face.

"Well you shouldn't be willing to go that far," Andromeda persisted.

"I won't let you get hurt."

"Funny," Andromeda told her. "I bet the parents of those children told them exactly the same thing. Get out," she finished, her voice dark and low. She pointed to the door and her sister sighed, heading towards it. "And it didn't seem like it was just a message when you were crying about one before. What happened Bella? What changed? At least you realized you'd taken a life before." Bellatrix paused in the doorframe, a hand resting against it.

"Grow up Annie. I can protect you from getting hurt but I can't stand you being so damn innocent." Then with a flash of her nightgown, she disappeared around the corner of the door.

"Annie, what's going on?" Regulus asked. Sirius looked at her intently.

"I have to write a letter," she said quickly, removing her cousin from her lap.

"Annie!" Regulus whined.

"Did she kill them?" Sirius asked, his voice softer than she had heard before. Andromeda turned and looked at him, pausing from where she was shuffling for a quill in her desk.

"Some of them."

"Why?"

"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," Narcissa said, standing in the doorway, her arms drawn across her chest, her eyes bright with tears.

"But that's wrong, isn't it?" Sirius asked, is eyes flooded with confusion.

"What do you think Sirius?" Narcissa questioned.

"I think it is wrong," he declared.

"But she said it was like the bad guy. Aren't they bad guys?" Regulus asked nervously, seeming even more confused than his older brother.

"No," Andromeda spoke. "No, Reg, muggles are like- like spiders in the attic. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. They're not doing anything bad. And the blood-traitors and muggle-borns, they're- they're-"

"They shouldn't have to be killed," Narcissa said and blinked hard. "They shouldn't have to be killed," she repeated more faintly. Then her head shot up as she looked over at the desk where Andromeda had sunk into a chair and buried her face in her hands. "Annie!" she yelped hurrying over, putting her arms lightly around Andromeda's neck. Andromeda put her arms around Narcissa's waist and letting her heavy tears flow.

One common mark had been left at all three houses, one that matched the tattoo on Bellatrix's arm. One name had been left at all three houses, the name Voldemort. One war, the first war, had begun.

**This is the end of part one. I'm not sure when I'm going to start publishing part two but it might be a while. I should get the one shot of this chapter told in Narcissa's perspective out tonight or tomorrow. Cheers and goodnight/day/evening/afternoon/whatever. Reviews always welcomed with open, loving arms.**


	18. Part 2: Chapter 1

**Guess what? I still don't own Harry Potter. Who woulda thunk it? And I'm pretty sure I won't own Harry Potter like, ever, but nonetheless, TA-DA, here is a disclaimer.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing_

_September 1969_

"Well, well, well, if it isn't one of those Black girls showing up in the middle of the night."

"It's hardly the middle of the night," Andromeda growled at the boy in front of her, trying her best to keep her spine straight and her shoulders back.

"To most people, five in the morning is close enough."

"No, to most people five in the morning is morning," Andromeda bit back.

"And is there a reason-"

"Andromeda!" someone called out and she heard thundering down the stairs before the small girl of twelve emerged behind her older brother and pulled the front door further open.

"You knew she was coming?" Frank sneered.

"Not this early but yes. She was going to come so that we wouldn't have trouble finding each other later on the train," Francis told him. Frank grumbled something unintelligible at her and then walked away. Francis rolled her eyes. "So why are you here?" she asked quietly. "I thought I would see you at the platform later today."

"I couldn't take her anymore," Andromeda sighed, letting her left shoulder slump. "I left my trunk in Narcissa's room and asked if she would bring it with her."

"She annoys you so you ask her to bring your trunk?"

"Not Cissy, Bella."

"Oh," Francis replied, leaning back against the open door, leaving a clear pathway. "Why don't you come in?" She yawned. "Seriously, five in the morning?"

"That's what I thought," Andromeda answered. "Only replace five with four."

Francis looked confused but she decided to bypass this statement. "Had breakfast yet?"

"No. I got dressed and came here."

"How exactly did you get here?" Francis asked, her brow crumpling.

"I took the Knight Bus."

"How was that?"

"Uneventful," Andromeda admitted as Francis led her past the stairs that were in front of the door and opened into the living room to the kitchen where a clean table sat amidst the counters. "There's nobody on the Knight Bus at four in the morning."

"It's five now."

"Well I got on at four something or another," Andromeda admitted. "After Bella came into my room trying to change my mind one last time before I left." Andromeda sank down in one of the kitchen chairs and rested her forehead against her right hand, her elbow setting on the table.

"Is she really behind it?" Francis whispered, sitting down in the chair next to Andromeda. "What happened? Is it true?"

"Yes," Andromeda moaned into the table.

"But why would she-"

"I don't know. I don't get it. That's what she's being trying to tell me, that I don't understand," Andromeda mumbled, then suddenly shot her head up. "She tells me I don't understand; that I don't see how this is all for good but it's not. It can't be. And try explaining that to eight and nine year old boys. They don't get it any better than I do. And Narcissa, Bella leaves her alone because she thinks Cissy's going to be on her side, but Merlin, the girl's acting so calm and above it all, there's no way to avoid realizing that her guts are withering inside!" Francis looked at her, not saying a word, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she were trying to figure out what language Andromeda had just been speaking.

"I just couldn't handle another speech from her about why she's right," Andromeda said quietly. "She's taken to coming into my room in the morning, trying to talk to me. This week she's tried scaring me, tried being nice, tried being factual, tried everything. Bella wants me on her side, she wants me with her. But I don't think I could ever agree that it's right to kill them," Andromeda whispered. She leaned her elbow back on the table and ran her fingers through her hair as Francis watched her.

"She wants you to do what she's done? What they did in the paper a week ago?"

"I don't know," Andromeda admitted. "I think maybe she just wants me to cheer her on but I can't do that. Stupid, stupid me. Why did I ever get to know you? Why did I ever talk to- talk to that guy? Why did I start thinking of you and them as people?" She released her hair from her hand, sliding her hand over her forehead, her elbow still on the table.

"I don't think you ever thought of 'me and them' as non-people," Francis said quietly. "Did you?" Andromeda looked away from her table and sheepishly to the side where Francis was sitting.

"I could have. If I'd tried hard."

"I don't think so," Francis answered. "I think you always saw peop-"

"So Frank did tell the truth. My, my. I certainly didn't think this was a sight I would ever see," someone said and Andromeda's head shot up as she looked at the stern woman standing in front of her.

"Good morning mother," Francis said in an attempt at cheerfulness that fooled no one. "This is Andromeda Black. You remember, I've told you about her."

"Yes, I've heard," she replied, studying Andromeda up and down. She tried to break the slump she had twisted her body into. "I've seen your older sister before. You look a lot like her."

"I've realized," Andromeda answered, back, staring the woman straight in her sharp, grey eyes. They were lighter than Andromeda's, the same color that Francis had. The woman stopped staring and her eyes darted from searching over Andromeda to looking her right back in the eye.

"Well, I'm glad your eyes seem to be functioning properly even if your head isn't."

"Mum!" Francis declared.

"Well, she ought to know that her showing up here does nothing but put us in danger."

"That wasn't my intent."

"You're drawing your sister's attention to us."

"She likes Francis."

"She does?" Francis asked. "She never seemed to care."

"Well, likes as well as Bellatrix likes anyone. Cissy still despises you."

"Hm, maybe she and Frank should start a club," Francis muttered under her breath as she glanced through the open archway to the living room where a shadow was passing. "You little snitch!" she called at him.

"Well you're a gullible snot-"

"Frank, Francis, stop now!" Francis's mother insisted. Both of the quieted but Francis still wore a scowl on her face. Then she looked at Andromeda one more time before shaking her head. "Still wish you hadn't come here but nothing to do about it now," she grumbled. "Francis get breakfast for the two of you," she told her. "Frank, is your trunk all packed?" she called, heading into the living room, quickly sweeping away from Andromeda and Francis.

"I think she likes you," Francis snorted as she got out of her chair and headed for the bread box. Andromeda got up and followed as Frank came into the kitchen.

"Talk about snitches. You told her I didn't have my trunk packed 'properly' last night? Snot-face."

"Git," Francis returned, handing Andromeda two pieces of bread.

"Treaterus slug."

"Gryffindor."

"Slytherin," he growled, stole a piece of bread from his sister and stormed out of the room as she glared at his back.

"I wish I had a sister instead," Francis decided. "You're lucky." Andromeda raised an eyebrow at her.

"Want to trade?"

"Scratch that," Francis agreed, glancing away. "I suppose Frank is better than-" Francis paused and looked up at Andromeda's face.

"You can say it," Andromeda growled. "I've accepted it."

"No you haven't," Francis replied quickly. "I don't think I ever could."

"You do what you have to," Andromeda answered. Francis opened her mouth to speak but apparently thought better of it and quickly snapped her mouth shut again. "So what time were you planning on heading for the platform?"

"I think Mum said around ten thirty. She's always early though. We'll probably show up around ten twenty unless Frank has his way."

"Frank wants to go later?"

"No. Frank is always late. Late and-"

"Francis, did you take my book?" Frank asked, racing into the room.

"No. What book?" Francis answered.

"My Defense Against the Dark Arts book."

"You left it in the living room. You were looking through it last night," Francis reminded him dryly.

"Oh, right," he said quickly, disappearing again. Francis rolled her eyes.

"So how's your summer been besides- besides that?" Francis asked.

"Oh, you know alright. Cissy and I were together a lot. I think we were both avoiding her together," Andromeda replied. Francis looked at her with an expression that begged for more. Andromeda sighed. "I met him a couple days ago at Diagon Alley. Happy?" Francis grinned.

"Like a date?"

"You are such a girl," Andromeda informed her with a smile.

"Only around you. I don't have any other girls to hang out with unless you count Alice and Lexi next door."

"Who?"

"Don't change the subject."

"Fine, but I'm hardly very girly."

"You are when you have that grin on your face."

"What grin?"

Francis shook her head and giggled slightly as a man walked into the room. He smiled at his daughter as he walked over to a tea kettle and set it boiling with his wand. "You must be Andromeda," he said, glancing over at her.

"Yes, I am."

"Good to meet you. Francis has told me about you. So has Frank for that matter but as he's always been a little overly-protective of his little sister here, so I'll have to dismiss what he says," Mr. Longbottom said cheerfully as he prepared a cup of tea for himself.

"Overly-protective?" Francis asked her father as he walked towards her. "Frank's not overly-protective. He's just mean."

"You used to get along with him and when this is all over with, you will again," her father told her, his voice tipping slightly into monotony, and Francis sighed as if she had heard this refrain too often. He smiled at her and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, giving her a light grin. Then he looked up at Andromeda again. "Glad you're here Andromeda. Feel free to stop by anytime during the breaks."

"I don't think Frank would like that," Francis reminded her father.

"I think Frank is going to have to get used to the fact that things aren't so simple as black and white, no pun intended, dearie," he said, nodding towards Andromeda. "You're not like that, Fran. I think from the day you were born, you've seen things in shades of grey. So be nice to your brother. He's still got a lot to learn." He leaned down and kissed the top of Francis's head. "And so do you. I have to head in to work early, got flooed by Perkins earlier. Apparently muggle-artifacts needs some help diffusing a situation. I'm sorry I can't go with you to the train. You'd better write to me though, got it?" he asked quietly with a grin. She smiled and nodded.

"Got it."

"Nice to meet you, Andromeda," he told her, waving as he left the room. Andromeda stared after him for a moment and then looked at Francis.

"Your dad likes you," she commented.

"Well, he's my dad," Francis shrugged. "I admit, I get along with him better than my mum. Both Frank and I do but I suppose they both love us and all, and we both love them." Andromeda still stared at her. "What?"

"Just strange to me. I don't think my parents would probably even know your name and yet both of yours knew who I was automatically and you talked to them about me-"

"Well they asked. Is that a problem?" Francis asked, crumpling her brow.

"No," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I just don't think my parents ever would."

"That's strange," Francis said yawning. "I've thought it before, but honestly, your parents are strange Andromeda. Sorry."

"I always thought they were the normal ones, but maybe it only seems normal because that's all I've ever seen."

"That's too deep for five thirty in the morning," Francis told her with another yawn. "You want to go see my room? I have a trundle bed. Maybe we could nap." Andromeda smiled.

"I brought a book. You can go back to bed. I don't mind."

"Thank you!" Francis said quickly, pulling away from the table, and leading Andromeda through the living room and up the stairs. She fought not to chuckle at Francis's enthusiasm.

"Where's the bathroom at?" she asked when they reached the upstairs hallway. Francis pointed to a door right next to her and then pointed at another door, this one open at the far end of the hall.

"That one's my room."

"Thank you," Andromeda told her and disappeared into the bathroom. She heard Francis's footsteps as she moved on down the hall and she shut the door, as her eyes caught on the mirror. For once she hadn't bothered to put her hair up and it was shimmering down in wild curls that made her look more like Bellatrix than usual. Why was it that when she was trying to get away from Bellatrix, she found more of her in the mirror? Slowly, Andromeda twisted her right arm and flinched as she pulled back the sleeve of her robes to reveal her left shoulder. The bandage she had conjured over it had already started to bleed through in places and she slipped it off, pulling her wand out of her pocket and cleaning the area. It was a struggle not to yelp. She'd tried to heal it, but it didn't work. Of course, she should have known that something that was cursed on wouldn't just disappear with a small charm that she'd use on a scraped knee. She looked back at the mirror and saw unwilling tears welling in her eye, caused by cleaning out the wound.

Bellatrix had a temper; Andromeda had always known that. Even when they were little, Bellatrix had always been the emotional one. But she had never purposely hurt Andromeda or Narcissa. This time she had. Andromeda sank down on the toilet lid, glancing up, trying to will the tears to fade. She had wandered in to Andromeda's room at four in the morning. That wasn't entirely unexpected. All week she had been trying to talk to Andromeda, to explain herself. One day, she had tried being nice, the next she'd tried telling Andromeda what was going to happen and using a few scare tactics. She'd tried other things but she'd never lost her temper like this.

With a hair band on her wrist, she flung her hair quickly into a ponytail, knowing she was leaving the top bumpy and uneven but at least knowing that her shoulder would be clear of the hair that poked at it and stung to pull away. When Bellatrix had come into her room that morning, Andromeda had been the one to start. She had started calmly, but her temper got the better of her. They had started to fight and Bellatrix had gotten mad, insistent. Andromeda couldn't even remember what she'd said really. It was more of the same. Perhaps she'd insulted Bellatrix's Dark Lord again. All she really remembered was that Bellatrix had pointed her wand at Andromeda's shoulder and said the curse with enough force to cause Andromeda to tumble over. Then, a look of horror at one she had done covered her face as Andromeda screeched tears of pain running to her eyes and Narcissa shooting in to the room. "Go," she remembered Narcissa commanding and she wasn't sure whether she was telling Bellatrix or Andromeda. Regardless, Bellatrix had left the room and Andromeda had put a bandage over her shoulder, gotten dressed, and asked Narcissa to bring her trunk on the train. Then she had left. Somehow, she had ended up here, her mind bringing her there on auto-pilot.

Andromeda took a deep breath as she picked up her wand from where she had placed it by the sink to conjure a new bandage to put around it. Then the door banged open and she found herself face to face with Frank. "I thought it would be locked if-" suddenly he stopped and looked at her shoulder. Quickly she finished the spell and slipped the sleeve of her robe back over it. He looked up at her, his eyes wide and she looked away. "Does your sister hate you now too?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why did she-"

"You wouldn't understand."

He studied her for a moment. "Why?" he asked again.

"You wouldn't understand." Again he watched her face as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

"Do you?" he questioned.

"I have to go," she told him. He held out a hand as though about to grab her right arm and then paused, rethinking the action.

"You won't hurt her?" he asked, taking in a deep breath. Andromeda turned to look at him. "Francis, I mean. You're not going to- she won't-"

"I won't hurt her or try to turn her against you if that's what you mean," Andromeda answered. "But if you want her on your side, you're going to have to do that yourself." She took a deep breath and then turned and left the bathroom leaving Frank behind as she headed off to her friend's bedroom, feeling the boy's eyes, full of confusion watching after her.

Normal. She'd never really thought of herself as normal, not being a member of the house of Black where she was told she was practically royalty. But she had never felt so strange and out of place before. No longer did she feel like she was one of her sisters, her family, her house but she was hardly part of everyone else. She looked at Francis who had fallen asleep on her bed and then sank down on the trundle bed by her bed. Perhaps Francis's father had been right. After all, Francis had become her friend, had welcomed her today even through confusion. Maybe she really could see grey where others only saw Black.

**Well, in case you didn't catch that Francis was Frank's sister, hopefully you've caught it now.****  
Anyway, here is part two's beginning. Yay, I hope for you guys. I'm a couple chapters ahead and so far this part isn't as fluffy (though it still has fluff don't worry, Emma).  
Review's always appreciated, but every fanfic author says that I suppose. Oh, no! I'm generic. Waaa!!**


	19. Part 2: Chapter 2

**Guess what? I still don't own Harry Potter. Who woulda thunk it? And I'm pretty sure I won't own Harry Potter like, ever, but nonetheless, TA-DA, here is a disclaimer.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing_

_October 1969_

"Wotcher."

"Hello yourself." He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips, pulling back quickly and she grinned at the butterfly-like touch against her mouth. "Funny meeting you here," she told him.

"Strange isn't it?" Ted asked as he began walking along with Andromeda at his side. They headed further away from the commercial center of town, among small houses with occupants oblivious to the two teenagers just outside their doors. "So Slughorn's paying you more attention this year?"

"Did I tell you about that?"

"Somewhat. You said he's already invited you to two of his 'parties' and it's only October."

"Well how do you know that's out of the ordinary?"

"I just assumed it was by your tone in your letter."

"Maybe you read my letter wrong."

"Maybe I did," Ted consented with a smirk. "You're picking an argument."

"Maybe I am."

"Oh, you just missed a prime opportunity," Ted teased, daring to reach back and tickle her a bit. Involuntarily, she smiled and let out a laugh.

"Don't do that."

"You know, it's a shame everyone's so scared of you. You're so much fun to tickle," he commented, now putting his arm around her in order to get to her other side. She elbowed him away, glaring at him with a smile on her face.

"Are they really all scared of me?" she asked him.

"Are you being serious?"

"Should I be?"

"Would you stop answering my questions with questions?"

"Would you just answer the question?"

"A lot of them are, happy?"

"You thought I didn't know that? I know perfectly well what I look like. Or who as the case may be."

"Hey, now, how did we get on this topic?" he asked gently, as she sat down at the edge of the forest just outside of town. There was no one around. Ted sat down next to her and she leaned over and, resting her weight on her hands, and pressed her lips against his. She felt him stumble to get his balance before pressing back, leaning back towards her, her body tilting towards the ground as his hands slid around her back, lowering her backwards. And then, suddenly, he stopped and pulled back sharply. Andromeda lost her balance and hit the ground.

"Ouch! You idiot!" Andromeda told him.

"Sorry!" he replied, reaching a hand out to help her to her feet. She glared at him and stayed on her back, putting her hands behind her head to stare up at the sky. Ted sighed and sat down beside her, his hands stretched out behind him for balance as he too looked up at the blue October sky. "How did we get on that topic?" he asked again.

"Can't you drop it? You're good at dropping things today."

"I want an answer," he told her, turning his head to look at her. She turned her head, still laying on her hands to look back.

"Why did you drop me?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Of course not. I was only a few inches off the ground."

"Good."

"Why did you drop me?"

"I didn't want to snog you that way."

"What way?"

"Just," Ted paused thinking. "Just that way."

"Are there a whole lot of other ways?"

"So innocent," Ted sighed.

"Not what I meant."

"Not what I meant either."

"So you're basically saying that you didn't want to kiss me?"

"Not right at that time, no."

"Am I that unattractive?"

"Na, you're a total babe." Andromeda rolled her eyes. "I've offended you," Ted remarked, almost in surprise.

"Well, aren't you a sharp cookie."

"Dromeda," he pleaded.

"What?" she snapped, glaring at the sky. He didn't say anything, just sighed and lay down beside her, his knees bent in the air and one hand supporting his head. The other lay at his side, closest to Andromeda. She rolled over on her stomach and bent her arms to pull herself up and let her head sit above his, now at a slight angle.

"Is your shoulder feeling alright then?" he asked, noting that she was using it and supporting weight with it.

"Yes," Andromeda said curtly.

"So you're offended that I didn't want to keep kissing you?"

"No, I'm offended that you called me a babe."

"I'm sorry, what would you prefer?" he asked with a smirk. She scowled at him.

"Something less muggle."

"That's not really what offended you," Ted said, pulling himself up and sitting in front of her. His head was now looking down at hers and she glared up at him. "You're offended that I didn't keep kissing you. You've been mad at me since I dropped you."

"I think you'd be mad if I dropped you," she returned, pushing against the ground so she could sit up as well. They were even in height now.

"I'd be surprised if you could pick me up to drop me."

"I am a witch."

"I'm well aware." They faded into silence and Ted sighed.

"I don't want to kiss you just because you're feeling upset," he admitted.

"I wasn't-"

"What's up with you and your sister?"

"I didn't-"

"Dromeda, please."

"There's nothing new," she spat at him and then looked down at the ground. "There's nothing new at all. She sends me a letter at least once a week begging me to understand. I keep reading every one. I haven't thrown them out. I have a drawer full of letters in my nightstand because I can't throw the letters I get away. I'm just tired of looking like her, okay? Everyone notices. Everyone thinks I'm going to be the same. After all, why else would Slughorn be including me now? Bellatrix is gone. He liked her. Now there's just me left and look at what Bella's doing. And I look just like her. I must be on the same path." She glared into the distance and felt Ted move his body to sit side by side with her instead of across from her. "Everyone thinks I must be on the same path." She shut her eyes and looked down at the ground. Ted rested a hand lightly on her knee.

"You don't look like her that much, not really. Your hair's brown and hers is black. Your nose is different. Hers is sharper than yours. I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't have those freckles on her face that you do, the tiny ones that are all over the bridge of your nose. You're shorter than she is and your hands are different, at least from what I've seen of her hands in classes. And don't get me started on your eyes."

"They're the same color."

"That doesn't mean they're the same," Ted replied as she looked at him, her eyes darting left and right along his face. "And Slughorn? Just because Bellatrix was there doesn't mean that he would ignore you. If he wasn't paying as much attention to you before, it was because he didn't think there would be a possible pay off in the end. He's your head of house. He knows what classes you signed up for. He knows your O.W.L.'s scores. He knows what career you mentioned in your advising appointment."

"I didn't tell him I wanted to be anything."

"But I'm guessing you mentioned something about healing, just as an off topic to see what courses you should take. You were able enough to tell me what they would be with a little coaxing in letters this summer."

"Maybe I mentioned something."

"You did. And Slughorn's not stupid. He's been around Slytherins since he was eleven years old, maybe even before. He knows all about your stupid ambition and exactly what it could get you to do if that's what you focus on."

"I'm not you about to upset my family by becoming a healer. I suppose I could have a job if I really wanted one. Not even many of the men in my family have jobs other than flirting with the ministry. That's what I'm supposed to do. But if I really wanted another job I suppose I could get it. But Healer wouldn't be one of them. I'd be dealing with muggle-borns and maybe even muggles, helping them to get better, quite possibly touching their clothes and skin and even blood. It wouldn't be right. Slughorn knows that."

"He also knows what members of your family have done in the past. You're family tree is littered with Black family drop-outs."

"Where did you hear that?" she asked sharply.

"It's common knowledge," Ted shrugged.

"No it's not."

"Is too. Anyone can tell you about it. Why would you think it wasn't?"

"That can't be right. No one even talks about it at my home. Surely-"

"Sorry to tell you but your family secrets are all over. Even cheered on. And in some cases living lives of their own. Some of them are even fighting on the opposite side of the whole Voldemort mess. Did you here what the Prewett brother's are up to?"

"You know I'm related to them?"

"I'm telling you, common knowledge."

"Why doesn't anyone tell me they know these things?"

"How many people are you close enough to that they would want to tell?" Ted asked pointedly.

"Okay, okay. What are the Prewett brothers up to?"

"They're in Auror training, probably bound to pass in about a year or so."

"And how did you hear this? The old Ravenclaw gossip mill?"

"No. I ran into Arthur Weasley the other day. His girlfriend is-"

"Their sister, I know that."

"Right, well anyway, he's working at the Ministry too. In Muggle relations or artifacts or something or another. Quite excited about it. And I've heard that he's-"

"Another relative. So Aunt Cassiopea decided to hammer into me this summer. I had a whole day of intensive black sheep learning."

"Baa?"

"Ted?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you here?"

"Are we being philosophical or literal or are you asking for a birds and the bees talk?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you probably don't want to start an argument starting with 'I think therefore I am' and you already know where babies come from."

"Maybe you do have half a brain."

"I'm here because I wanted to see you. I like writing you letters but it's just not the same," he said. Andromeda became increasingly aware of the fact that his shoulder kept brushing against hers, that his hand was on his knee.

"But my family's so- You could be with anyone else, someone you don't have to sneak around with, someone you could actually have a relationship that will go somewhere with, someone who's not dangerous."

"I don't want to be with anyone else right now. I can talk to you despite the fact that you're a girl and I've had my troubles with that."

"I can't imagine that."

"You wouldn't believe the stupid things that have come out of my mouth around other girls."

"I might. You tend to say some pretty stupid things in general."

Ted rolled his eyes and continued. "You make me laugh and you understand what I'm saying when I'm not using 'muggle slang'. You listen to me in my rants. Heck, you argue with them. I like you Andromeda. That's why I'm here despite the fact that your _family_ is dangerous, this can't go somewhere, and I have to sneak around. Not to mention, on top of all that, you're gorgeous."

"Cissy's pretty and cute and delicate and Bella's gorgeous and striking. I'm just somewhere in the middle."

"You're gorgeous Dromeda. Can't you see that? You're beautiful. What have you been told about yourself?"

"That I'm not Cissy. And I've seen that I'm a muted version of Bella. Even you said so."

"I did not," he laughed. "You're hair's a softer color and your eyes are softer too I suppose. Maybe your skin is a little lighter. If that's what you mean by muted, by all means yes. But if you mean it that you're somehow less striking, you're wrong." He leaned towards her, his face tilting as he came close to her face. She felt his breath near her, could smell him, a green smell like rain. "In my opinion you're more beautiful than she is," he said softly as he kissed her, slowly pulling away as her hands slid around his neck and his arms went around her waist.

"Are you going to drop me again?"

"No," he answered before meeting her lips again.

* * *

"Where were you going today?" Narcissa asked suddenly as she sat down next to Andromeda in the common room. Andromeda looked up from her book, willing Francis next to her not to change her face. Narcissa didn't even glance over, thankfully.

"Going when?" Andromeda questioned. Her heart began to pound within her chest. Had Narcissa seen her coming or going from where Ted was? Had she seen Ted?

"In Hogsmeade."

"Let's see," Andromeda pondered. "I went to Honeydukes and-"

"No, you weren't headed towards any shop." Andromeda did her best to fix Narcissa with a confused stare.

"Are you sure it was me?"

"I was fairly sure. And so was Jody. And Aias and Diana."

"You were with Aias?"

"Don't change the subject."  
"You must have seen someone else with brown hair. I know it's a rare trait but it does occasionally pop up in other people," Andromeda told her sister dryly as she picked up her book again and began to read.

"Annie," Narcissa hissed.

"What?" she sighed.

"Don't you think people are talking enough as it is?"

"Is that all you care about?" Andromeda asked harshly. "And even if it is, don't you think there's a better way to get people to stop talking about you than to start arguing in the common room?" Narcissa rolled her eyes and sat down, leaning close to Andromeda's ear.

"This had better not be about the same boy who was writing to you," she hissed, her voice tickling the fine hairs falling from Andromeda's messy ponytail. She barely had time to compose her face again before Narcissa got to her feet and hurried to the entrance to the common room where one of her friends had just entered. It could be worse of course. It didn't seem like Narcissa had actually seen her, just had her suspicions. The trouble was, Narcissa's suspicions were right. She needed to talk to Narcissa though, find a way to straighten out her story. With a sigh, she got to her feet, gaining her a glance from Francis as she walked across the common room.

"What were you talking about?" Andromeda inquired with annoyance.

"Talking about when?" Narcissa asked innocently.

"You seemed to be implying that there was some guy," Andromeda told her with a snigger in her voice.

"You?" Adelaide asked in surprise. Narcissa's eyes narrowed.

"Annie could get any guy she wanted, if she wanted one," she scolded her friend. "Perhaps I was wrong though," she said, her narrowed eyes now surveying Andromeda. "It was just a quick glance. Maybe I misread the name at the end of the letter on your pillow. We were in a hurry."

Crap, Andromeda thought. She had actually seen something. The fact that Narcissa might have seen her letter from Ted had lain all but forgotten in her mind until today. Narcissa had never mentioned anything. "You must have," Andromeda agreed. "And why would you think anything of it anyway? Getting a letter doesn't imply answering it." She was almost rewarded by a startled reaction from her little sister but Narcissa was always good at holding her composure. She knew for a fact that Narcissa had received a letter from Aias over the summer, and, while she had never replied, it was still laying in her desk drawer, well worn from being read.

"I suppose not. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be dangerous."

"Who exactly did you think this letter was from that it would be dangerous?" Andromeda asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Just a boy," Narcissa shrugged. Adelaide was looking back and forth between them, desperate for information.

"There are a lot of those out there."

"Some are just better than others."

"I think we'd both agree on that," Andromeda replied and forced a smile and tried to giggle, well aware that half the common room was looking at her. Narcissa was better at pretending. She laughed happily as though it really were all a joke and smiled. Her eyes were piercing though, staring only at Andromeda.

"I'm glad we're on the same page, Annie," she said joyfully. "Just a bit of confusion I guess."

"It happens," Andromeda agreed and smiled before turning and heading back to her homework. Most of the people in the room slowly returned to their business but Andromeda could feel a pair of eyes on her from the seat beside her.

"Did she see him? Does she know?" Francis whispered when no one was paying attention anymore.

"No and yes," Andromeda muttered back.

"Wait, but how?" Francis hissed.

"Tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

"Tomorrow," Andromeda repeated, settling into the couch, trying to focus on her book. She found her eyes slipping over a paragraph and then forgetting what it was about a moment later.

**Don't have anything to say really. Um, please review?**


	20. Part 2: Chapter 3

**Guess what? I still don't own Harry Potter. Who woulda thunk it? And I'm pretty sure I won't own Harry Potter like, ever, but nonetheless, TA-DA, here is a disclaimer.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing_

_November 1969_

"I feel gross."

"Me too, that was disgusting!" another girl agreed. Andromeda glanced up at the pair from where she was kneeling by the fence putting her book back in her bag. Thankfully, she was done with class for the day and could go back up to the castle and clean up before dinner. Her eyes followed after the pair of Ravenclaw girls who had just left. There was only Walden Macnair left talking to the teacher, seeming not to notice the mud all over his body. Andromeda sighed.

"And you scold me when I have dirt on my nose," a voice came up towards her as she saw a faint figure bending down next to her.

"Ted! What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly.

"Trying very hard not to laugh my arse off at you."

"Someone will see you."

"I put a disillusionment spell on myself."

"Well, I can see you!" she hissed.

"Only because you're paying attention."

"Someone else might start paying attention."

"Only if you don't stop talking to yourself." She glared at him as she began rising to her feet and felt his hand coming behind her arm to help her. Quickly, she yanked her arm away.

"Don't touch me."

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"No I'm just dirty," she replied softly. Out of the corner of her eye, she monitored Professor Kettleburn and Macnair. Both of them were facing away from Andromeda's whispered conversation. "I don't want to touch me, much less want you to touch me."

"You are mad then."

"No I'm- Oh, very funny Theodore," she said with a scowl.

"Well, apparently I'm a mudblood so you must be 'mad' to think you're dirtier than me," he commented. Andromeda thought she could pick out a grin on his disillusioned face. At least he was amusing himself. She then looked back at Macnair and her professor, still feeling nervous. Decidedly, she threw her bag over her shoulder and began marching away towards the lake. Ted followed after her. She led the way to a desolate spot as far away as she thought was safe and then stopped. Without hesitation, Ted removed the spell from himself.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're the one who took me here," Ted reminded her.

"Not what I meant."

"I'm here and no where else. What else could you have meant?" he teased. She glared at him as she began to clean off herself and her clothes with her wand. "I wanted to see you. What's so bad about that?"

"I just saw you a week and a half ago." A week and a half ago she had asked Professor Slughorn if she could go out to Hogsmeade to get boomslang skin for a potion she wanted to try. A little pleading and he had melted like butter, leaving a perfect opportunity for Andromeda to meet Ted. Who said Narcissa was the only Black sister who could capture adults around her pinky?

"Do you want me to go?" he asked.

"Well no, but-"

"Then here I am."

"But you shouldn't be."

"But I am," he repeated.

"You're going to get in trouble."

"I will not. I have permission from Dumbledore to be here. I was delivering some things to the greenhouses."

"You're going to get _me_ in trouble," she replied before twisting awkwardly, trying to get the dirt off her back. Of course Macnair had to go upsetting one of the winged horses, making it go into a frenzy, spreading mud and whatever else was on the ground everywhere. To make matters worse, they were Abraxans, huge and powerful. Andromeda was thinking of killing Macnair for the incident but she had her doubts that would be possible. Professor Kettleburn, while upset with Macnair, had thought it was a wonderful learning experience for his sixth year students if they wanted to have anything with winged horses later on in life.

"Let me help you," Ted sighed, pulling his wand from the pocket of his robe again. She stopped twisting as she felt the mud on her back slide away and then felt Ted's fingers gently tugging at her hair tie. Lightly, she jerked back a little. "You've got it in your hair too," he explained, moving his fingers back to the band in her hair.

"It'll never come out if you're going to move that carefully," she explained reaching her hand back. "I always have to tug it. My hair gets all tangled on it. It's alright to pull my hair a bit to get it out." Ted shoved her hand aside and continued, if anything, even more gently. Slowly, her hair came free from it as Andromeda stood, her back slowly relaxing as she took in Ted's smell, her eyes still alert for anyone who might spot them. She doubted there would be anyone. It was too cold outside. The only people she had seen outside were the others in her Care of Magical Creatures class and a group of second years heading out to one of the greenhouses. Behind her, she felt a spell cleaning out her hair and Ted's fingers moving through it to make sure all the mud was gone before he leaned forward and put his arms around her waist, his head coming to rest on her shoulder as she unintentionally relaxed into his body.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered quietly into her ear.

"Is that why you're here?"

"Yes."

"That was stupid of you."

"I'm glad I can maintain my reputation then."

"Thank you by the way."

"You're welcome."

"You're still an idiot."

"Don't I know it," he chuckled lightly. Andromeda turned around, feeling his arms loosen around her and leaned up to peck his lips before stepping away.

"What about the greenhouses though?"

"Technically that was Marta's job. I told her I would drop them off if she would cover my delivery to some apothecary in London later tonight. Told her I needed to go home."

"Oh."

"Which, as it turns out, I actually do. My sister begged me to come and visit."

"Marianne or Kitty?"

"You automatically assume it's not Lisa."

"Is it?"

"Nope," he replied with a grin. "It's Marianne. You were right." He leaned forward and kissed her gently. "You win."

"Ha, ha."

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Andromeda sighed. "Ah, party of Slughorn's?"

"You win," she agreed before leaning forward and kissing him. It was a bit longer than the last one and she pulled away a little bit breathless.

"In your honor or-"

"No. He doesn't know it's my birthday," Andromeda informed Ted as she sat down on the ground. Ted sank down next to her. "How did you happen to figure that out, come to think of it?"

"Francis."

"How does she know?"

"Narcissa I think."

"Narcissa told her?"

"I think she overheard it. I don't know."

"And since when are you talking to Francis?"

"She only wanted to inform me that it was your birthday since you wouldn't even tell her."

"But I don't _want_ it to be my birthday," Andromeda protested.

"But you already have 364 un-birthdays. You need to have at least one day a year that's a birthday."

"A what?"

"Ah, right, no movies for you. That is terribly sad, do you know that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh never mind. It's a muggle thing. You'd like it though."

"Would I?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Maybe. I like them. I'd spend my entire life in a movie theater if I could."

"A what?"

"Oh, you're impossible. Take muggle-studies."

"No," she said with a look of distaste on her face.

"What's wrong with muggle-studies?" he asked sharply.

"You mean besides the fact that my sisters would definitely be suspicious if I took it, not that Narcissa isn't already suspicious?"

"Yes, I mean beside that fact. You gave the idea such a look that- Andromeda, they're my family. They're people, same as you!"

"I know that," she replied with a look of deviance as she swept to her feet. "I just have no desire to learn about them."

"Dromeda," Ted sighed, getting slowly to his feet and grabbing her arm. She jerked it away and crossed her arms over her chest, not daring to look him in the eye. "They're people, they're my family, they're everyone I grew up with when I was little. It wouldn't hurt you to learn about them. It would be just like learning about wizards over in Germany only without the magic. I'm not saying you have to. Your family probably would be too suspicious but just admit that they're people, same as you."

"No."

"Dromeda, I know you know they are," he growled.

"You can't expect me to change everything just to be with you for a little while," she told him darkly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"This isn't about me. This is about realizing that most of the people in the world are people."

"They are people! I never said they weren't."

"You don't act like it."

"Because I'm not best buddies with them? Sorry but not in the realm of possibility."

"Because you somehow think they're less than you."

"They are!" she said. Her stomach sank as she saw Ted's face twist in dislike. "They would eat me alive if they even found out that I thought muggle-borns were all right. I'd hate to think what would happen if they thought I thought muggles were the same as everyone else."

"You're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not. Ted you don't understand. You could never understand. You have your family and they love you and they would love you no matter what. You could go out and- and murder someone and they would still love you. Maybe they wouldn't like you, but they would love you. But my family- well murder is acceptable I guess, but saying muggles are people too isn't. So I don't. I'll admit that they deserve to live, that we should just let them be whenever possible. But I won't like say anything more. I won't believe anything more. You can't make me."

"No," Ted replied harshly. "I can't. But maybe you should stop and think of how many muggles you've actually met. Once upon a time you thought muggle-borns were nothing but trash either. Are you taking that back?"

"No, I'm-"

"Because my parents are muggles. My entire family is muggle! As far as I'm concerned, I'm muggle just with the addition of some powers. Whoop-dee-doo. When is it going to sink in Andromeda? You're world is screwed up. Wake up!"

"I can't! You're wrong!" Andromeda felt her stomach sink as she said it. Ted turned around furious. She saw his bright blue eyes narrow. His fists clenched at his sides and then he spread out his fingers as much as possible, as if trying to radiate the anger away from him. He opened his mouth to say something and then looked at Andromeda with nearly the same look of disgust she had worn a moment before. Her heart pounded in her chest. She tried to fix a look of determination, of not caring, of being sure she was right on her face. It didn't work.

"This isn't a matter of who's right and who's wrong. This is a matter of _what's_ right and what's wrong. You know better than anybody what people who don't acknowledge muggles as people can do. What's going to happen next? Are you going to end up supporting your sister as long as she doesn't go after muggle-borns and blood-traitors? As long as it's just a little muggle-baiting, well, it could be worse, it's okay?" he asked angrily.

"I didn't say that! I'd never say that!"

"You as good as did. It would be better wouldn't it? If she went after muggles instead of going after wizards. If they're less than you, that's the conclusion that follows. Well, you're wrong. Not me. You're wrong!" he yelled at her.

"I-"

"No, don't answer. What have you been thinking about muggles Andromeda? That they're ignorant and therefore stupid? Well wise up. They are ignorant of the wizarding world. There's no question there and I understand that's how things have to be. But they're not all stupid anymore than all wizards are! Being muggle or wizard, it's just another trait, like brown hair or olive skin or stubby toes. It has nothing, _nothing_ to do with who you are as a person. I get it, okay? You've tried to tell me in a thousand ways. I'm listening. I'm sorry I've invaded your presence with my dirty muggle-blood, your highness," he mocked. "If you can't call them people, then I can't be around you. I like to be a person when I'm talking to someone. If you want to reconsider, well, maybe I'll be around," he bit at her before turning his back and walking away.

Andromeda stood frozen to the ground watching his back fade away. She wanted to move, head back to the castle and pretend that everything was okay in hopes that it would be. She wanted to run after him and explain, make him hold her in her arms. She wanted to scream and shout and carry on, ranting at him if he would keep talking to her. She wanted to do anything that would numb the way she was suddenly feeling that she was about to break down and cry. But she couldn't move, couldn't speak. Ted turned his head one last time and she caught a glimpse of his eyes, looking disappointed. She saw his steps trip up as if he was struggling to keep going, and she watched him take a deep breath as he turned his head and kept on walking. All she could do was stay frozen until he was out of sight and then she fell to the ground, burying her head in her arms, her eyes staying dry, but her heart beginning to bleed.


	21. Part 2: Chapter 4

**Guess what? I still don't own Harry Potter. Who woulda thunk it? And I'm pretty sure I won't own Harry Potter like, ever, but nonetheless, TA-DA, here is a disclaimer.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing_

_November 1969_

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she got up from the ground and began walking towards the castle in a trance. Her feet led her across the grounds, hardly noticing as she walked in the door and someone pointed at her, not pausing as she slid down the stairs to head for the common room. "Andromeda!" someone called. "My girl, I almost thought you weren't coming." She looked up, blinking her eyes in an attempt to clear them and saw Slughorn standing there. He was beaming. "Come in, come in," he said, putting a bulky hand on her shoulder and drawing her inside. She didn't even fight, feeling unaware of the stares she was getting from people around the room. Slughorn led her to a chair at a large circular table and she collapsed into it, not even noticing who was beside her.

"Potatoes?" Damocles Belby asked uncertainly.

"No thank you. I don't really like them," she muttered softly. Belby looked about to jump out of his seat after she spoke.

"Don't like potatoes? Aren't you a strange one," Slughorn laughed. "Personally I don't like strawberries and everyone thinks that's strange. How about you Jonah?" he asked a boy sitting beside him. "Any strange dislikes?"

"Pie. I've never liked pie," the boy near him answered back laughing at himself. Andromeda felt the eyes drawn off of her but she couldn't quite bring herself to care.

"Are you okay?" someone asked quietly beside her. She looked to side to see a round-faced girl watching her closely. The rest of the table was turned away.

"Fine," Andromeda muttered.

"You don't look fine."

"I am."

"You look about to cry."

"I can assure you I'm not about to."

"Well, you look like you're about to." Andromeda shook her head rapidly. She felt an urge to yell at the girl but her throat seemed so hoarse that she couldn't manage it. "You want something to eat?" the girl asked.

"No. I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense, eat something. A girl like you can't stand to miss a meal. You'll float away," Slughorn chortled. Reluctantly, Andromeda accepted the meat that was passed to her and began to pick at it, her mind still floating away, watching Ted storm away.

She kept an eye out, moving when appropriate and attempting to talk and laugh and scowl when appropriate through the rest of the night. It seemed to be working. No one was paying attention to her anymore except for the round-faced girl who kept looking over at her, and, of course, Slughorn. He watched all of them but he seemed to be keeping an eye on her in particular. At the end of the night, when everyone was heading away, he called her to his side.

"How's that potion coming along?" he asked. The question jabbed in her heart. He was talking about the potion that she had gone to get ingredients for in order to see Ted.

"It's alright, Professor. I don't think it will come out as great as I wanted it to but-"

"Nonsense. You're a good potion maker Andromeda," he said boastfully.

"Thank you, sir," she replied back. Slughorn seemed to be studying her.

"Is your sister alright?" he asked in a whisper after a moment. "Has she gotten hurt doing whatever it is that she's doing now she's gone?" She looked up feeling herself begin to tremble.

"Bella's fine, physically fine." Slughorn nodded, still looking confused. "Just fine. She's fine. Narcissa's fine. I'm fine. We're all just fine. Just fine."

"You're fine," Slughorn repeated. Andromeda nodded, feeling her head fill with tears again. She fought the feeling back.

"We're all fine."

"Physically and mentally?"

"I- I'd better go Professor. I'm tired and-"

"Andromeda?"

"What?" she asked, stopping but not turning around.

"Will you tell her that it's not right? That he's always been charming? That he's always been able to get his way and she shouldn't give in?" Andromeda took in a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Professor, don't you think I've tried?"

"Tell her again," he repeated his voice almost pitiful.

"I'm scared," she admitted softly. She looked up as she heard Slughorn walking around her so he could face her and she met his eyes letting her arms fall to her sides.

"You're not alone. Even Dumbledore is scared of him coming to power I believe."

"I'm not scared of him. What would he do to me? I'm a pureblood. I'm scared of Bella," she answered, her eyes narrowed. Slughorn shook his head.

"You ought to be afraid. He collects people like Bellatrix. He uses them. He'll use you."

"So do you," Andromeda said stubbornly. Slughorn seemed a little taken aback but then he relaxed again.

"Yes, I suppose it's no secret that I do. But I collect them in spite of their tempers, for their potential. I'll let them go if they want."

"And this guy, he doesn't?"

"No."

"You know him?"

"I knew him, a long time ago."

"So you want Bellatrix to die, that's what you're saying? If there's no leaving him then-"

"It may be a better fate for her than what is to come."

"How do you-"

"He was one of my collection a long time ago, Ms. Black." Andromeda's attention was caught. Slughorn rarely called her by her last name. "And I saw what he could do, what he was willing to do although I may have seen it too late. If you knew what he was capable of you would be very afraid for yourself and your sisters."

"He's capable of organizing multiple murders, what could be worse than that?" Andromeda asked sternly.

"You're too innocent."

"I've been told that before. I'm struggling to believe it. You know what kind of house I've grown up in. I've seen Dark Magic, I'll admit it. I've even tried a spell or two over the summers, enough to decide I didn't like it. It made me nearly cry and feel awful. Arrest me if you must, it was only a bug. I couldn't bear even the thought of using it on a human. But I've seen it and I've felt that power. I say mudblood and I'm well aware what my sister gets up to with a boy and the mechanics of it all. What more could you mean by innocent? You haven't seen what I've seen. You haven't seen your sister come back the way I have seen Bella come back from being with him. You haven't had to tell your cousins that the girl they see like their big sister is a bad guy! You don't have to! I'm not innocent so stop thinking that I am! Everybody thinks I'm so innocent, well I'm not. You have no idea what I've done!" She felt like crying. She had gotten into a rant and she was yelling at her teacher. "You have no idea! None! And neither does he! He doesn't get it, doesn't understand. I have to think that. I have to. I have to!"

"What do you mean by he?" Slughorn asked quickly, his eyes flashing with worry.

"Oh I don't mean stupid Voldemort if that's what you mean. Merlin, about as far from that as you can go. And I don't even know why I'm telling you this." Slughorn grabbed her arms.

"You're sure it's not Voldemort? You know this for a fact, he wasn't under a disguise? You've never been asked to hurt anyone or- or retrieve something or-"

"I know! I know it's not! Merlin I'm sure. He even left because I didn't acknowledge them, didn't say they were people like me. But he doesn't get it! I have to hate them or they'll hate me! He doesn't get it. They love him no matter what. It's not like they love me. They don't love me like that. He doesn't get it. I can't see them that way because they'll hate me, my family will hate me! _They can't hate me!"_ she yelled. Inside, she could feel the tears pressing to get out. She felt like she must be swelling up like a balloon. "They can't hate me and so I have to hate who they want me to hate. But I can't. I can't hate them. I can't do it! I can't hate him." She looked at Slughorn whose hands were still on her upper arms but his grip had relaxed. He looked confused. "I can't hate him," she repeated softly.

"You are not your sister are you?" he asked, seemingly more to himself.

"You have no idea."

"I wish you weren't innocent. The times ahead won't treat you well, I'm afraid."

"I'm not innocent."

"Yes, Andromeda, you are," Slughorn replied tiredly. "You may know many things you're not supposed to but your desires are innocent. You're not looking for power. You're not looking to rule over people. And you're not searching for the opposite either. You have simple desires. Trust me, I've seen them all. I've collected them all. You want to learn, that's your ambition, that's the one that landed you in my house, isn't it? And that's not something they're going to understand. It saves you right now. You don't take interest in them because you don't take interest in power. But eventually they're going to take interest in you." He shook his head. "And I'm afraid they might tear you apart."

"Can I go now?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, get some sleep. You look dead on your feet," he replied, turning back to himself in his voice but there was a shadow of his worry in his eyes. Andromeda hurried away, down the rest of the hallway to the Slytherin dungeon. Her eyes caught on Narcissa sitting next to Aias Burke by the fire, bent low over a paper or book or something on the table. They were so close her blonde hair was falling over his shoulder. She glared over at them, feeling jealous but even observant Narcissa didn't look her way. It was Francis who grabbed her wrist and tugged it.

Andromeda shook back to her senses as she looked down at her friend and then pulled her hand away, scurrying towards the stairs. Francis sighed and dashed after her.

"Where are they?" Andromeda asked, bursting into Francis's dorm room.

"Where are what?" she questioned in confusion.

"Your books."

"My books? You mean my school books?"

"No your muggle books," she replied. None of the other second years were there. It was a Friday night. They were most likely in the common room.

"My muggle books?"

"Yes!" Andromeda implored. Francis was being too slow for her liking. "I know you bring them, that you like them. I've seen them. You said your dad gets them for you because you like them."

"Yes but- Andromeda what's going on?"

"I need to read one!"

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I need to know!"

"Need to know what?"

"Francis!"

"What? Andromeda you're acting crazy."

"I'm not crazy, I'm mad. Please, just tell me where they are." Francis slid off her bed and walked over to Andromeda, opening her trunk. There was a pocket on the side and she began searching through it before pulling out a book. She slapped it down into Andromeda's hand. "I still want to know what's going on."

"I need to prove that they're not like us."

"Who?"

"Muggles."

"What do you mean by not like us?"

"That they're not exactly the same other than not having magic."

"Then give me back my book," Francis directed, sticking out her hand. "It's not going to help you. No book is going to help you their, at least not one written by a muggle."

"It has to," Andromeda said, pulling the book close to her.

"It won't."

"I need to read it."

"You're looking in the wrong place," Francis directed.

"I'll remember that," Andromeda replied quietly. "Thank you." Francis nodded.

"You're welcome. I think." Andromeda dashed from the room and began to read, stealing back into Francis's room when she finished and grabbing another book. She was confused a bit by parts of the books but she wasn't really looking for their plots or settings. Her mind was on the characters, how they felt and laughed and cried and talked like she did. How there were ones who were sloppy and those who were neat and those who were shy and outgoing and power-hungry and living things day by day and like her. They were characters who were muggle but had all the traits of the people around her. Francis was right. She shouldn't have read them because she knew Ted was right.

It wasn't until noon the next morning that she woke up to find all her dorm mates gone and Francis sitting on the edge of her bed with a book. She dropped it automatically when she realized Andromeda was awake and crawled forward to sit next to her.

"Why did you have to tell him it was my birthday?" Andromeda asked, as she wrapped her arms around herself. Francis opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted.

"So it's over then?" someone asked from the doorway. Andromeda looked over to see Narcissa standing there. She didn't answer. "It's for the best you know."

"I know," Andromeda whispered as Narcissa came walking over towards her bed and sat down next to Francis.

"I won't tell anyone." Andromeda looked away. "Annie?" She couldn't think of anything to say. "Annie?" Suddenly she shot out of her bed, still fully dressed from the night before when she had fallen asleep reading. "Annie?" Narcissa asked as Francis scrambled off the bed.

"I need to go for a walk. I need out. I need to be alone," she said hurriedly, grabbing her cloak as she rushed out of the room.

"Annie," Narcissa called hurrying after her. "Annie it's for the best, tell me you know that."

"I know that!" she yelped back, turning on her sister in the hallway.

"And you won't go back to him?"

"I won't go back to him," she growled.

"And you won't cry over him anymore? It's not worth it."

"I'm not crying. I'm done. I'll be what they want me to just leave me out of it." She began to rush away again. Narcissa followed after her through the common room.

"Out of what?"

"He's right you know. Slughorn's right. And I don't want part of it. I'm scared. And you should be too. They'll eat you too. But maybe they won't."

"Andromeda, _you're_ scaring me," Narcissa said.

"Isn't that ironic?"

"Annie!" Narcissa yelped. Andromeda whipped around to face her sister and stopped, feeling herself shake.

"It's over."

"You and the mudblood?"

"Everything. Slughorn's right. This summer was just the start."

"They won't do that again! They won't do anything that bad again. It was just a message! An awful message," Narcissa retorted quickly.

"No it's not. Not the way Bella's been talking. Choose your side, Cissy. There's no more just playing a part. I've got my side to choose too. Bella's already decided hers."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, there's always a part that needs to be played, always."

"Not anymore," Andromeda told her, flipping around again and walking down the hall, headed for the entrance hall and the doors outside. She took off running before she even realized that she had forgotten shoes, her socks squishing in the morning dew. Stumbling, she tore them off and held them in her hands, heading off into the distance, trying to make her lungs sting badly enough that there was nothing else to think about, trying to run away from everything, from right, from wrong, from family, from friends, from love, from hate, from life. She stopped she didn't know how much later, her breath heaving, staring out into the distance and began to laugh. She couldn't breath, couldn't make herself and somehow, it made her laugh. All of this and she was going to die because she couldn't breath, all that was going wrong, and it was going to end because she was laughing too hard.

"Yeh, alrigh'?" Andromeda turned to see Rubeus Hagrid, still laughing and tried to tell him that she couldn't breathe. Instead she ended up clutching her throat, trying to get the message across. Hagrid grabbed her arm, half-leading, half-carrying her towards the castle and to the hospital wing as she only occasionally managed to gasp in a little bit of air.

"Goodness, Hagrid, what's going on?" Madam Frist asked when he came in, letting go of Andromeda's arm.

"I dunno. Jus' found her out on the grounds, laughin' her head off. Didn' seem like she was gettin' any air."

"Black. Black, can you stop? You need to stop." She wanted to yell that she was trying but all she could manage was to turn her laugh more into a cry as Madam Frist hurried away to a shelf and came back with a bottle. "Tilt your head back." Andromeda quickly did as she was told and began to gag as a potion slid down her throat. A moment later she stopped laughing and just stared around. Hagrid looked baffled and Madam Frist looked uncertain. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" Andromeda asked sarcastically.

"I think I want you to go sit down right there until I'm sure that Calming Draught is going to work all the way," Madam Frist, directed pointing. Andromeda nodded and walked over to a bed, sitting down on the edge of it, suddenly feeling quite worn down.

"Where did you find her Hagrid?" she heard the nurse whisper.

"I told yeh. Out on the grounds. Jus' laughin' her head off. Wha's wrong with her?"

"Just shock I'd imagine. I just don't know what," she glanced back at Andromeda. Vaguely, she wondered if they thought she couldn't hear them. Then she realized she didn't care either way.

"She looked insane," Hagrid commented. Andromeda fought not to snort. She'd felt insane.

"If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops!" someone hollered as they came into the room.

"Speakin' of which," Hagrid muttered. Madam Frist sprung into action as Andromeda looked up to see a pair of boys along with Professor Choloris, who taught Herbology, and Ted. Andromeda's eyes widened as Ted spotted her and his muscles tightened, still holding up the boy who was singing.

"They were in the greenhouses," Professor Choloris began to explain but Andromeda didn't pause to listen as she jumped off the bed and took off again.

"Black!" Madam Frist yelped.

"I'll get her. I can run fast," she heard Ted saying as she rounded a corner. She picked up speed.

"Andromeda!" Ted called after her as she slid down a corridor. "Stop this! What on earth are you doing?"

"Running," she spat back.

"I got that," he panted as she got to the end of a hallway with only doors around her. "Where are you going to go now?"

"Go away."

"What are you doing?"

"Go away. You walked away once. Do it again."

"Not until you tell me what in the world is going on in your head."

"No!"

"Why not!"

"Because I don't even know! Going insane. I'm going insane."

"You are not."

"I just spent, I don't even know how long laughing my head off because, well I'm not sure of that either but it most certainly wasn't funny. At least not ha, ha funny."

"You're stressed out. It happens. Most people don't let it build up so much but-"

"And you're right!"

"What?"

"You heard me. I won't say it again." Ted stopped as Andromeda leaned against the wall and sank down. "Why do you have to be right?" Ted walked over and sat down next to her, still leaning against the wall. She curled up with her legs pulled tight to her chest, her arms around them and her head, leaning back against the wall. Ted was only slightly more relaxed. "I don't want you to be right."

"For your sake I wish I wasn't," he sighed.

"And why do I have to like you now? It's the worst possible time, isn't it? It just makes everything worse."

"I don't think you would like me if it wasn't right now."

"That's not true."

"Andromeda, I don't think there's much chance you would have given me a second glance if you hadn't been upset about Bellatrix and looking for new friends."

"I- Maybe. I don't know."

"And furthermore, I don't know that I would have liked you if you were still so connected to her. I don't think you'd be the same person if you didn't have to think about things like you have lately." Andromeda tilted her head down and saw that Ted's face was in his hands. He brought it up and looked over at her. "You know I couldn't sleep last night. I was mad as heck at you and I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you. I kept seeing you when I left you behind. You didn't look like you. And I could smell you're hair and hear your voice and taste your kiss, everything."

"And I saw Marianne earlier that night." He turned, looking away from her. "She took one look at me and she asked who it was, who the girl was I was in love with. I told her she was crazy, that I wasn't in love with anybody. But that's the stupid thing about sisters, isn't it?" He sighed. "She was right." He looked over at Andromeda. "It shouldn't have happened. I never thought it would happen this fast. But I love you. I'm in love with you." He leaned his head back and chuckled. "And we got called back today, the company did because Choloris decided they needed more so I got sent since I'd been here yesterday. And I was dreading it but I thought if I saw you I'd tell you, just tell you to spit it in your face. But you had to go and say I was right. I knew you knew I was right but I didn't think you'd admit it." He sighed again and looked back at her. "I didn't think you'd be right there, that I'd need to help take two stupid boys who crashed into the greenhouse on broomsticks and hit their heads to the hospital wing. I didn't think you'd be there. But you were and I said if I saw you I'd tell you. So there it is. I love you. Stupidly, blindly, idiotically, love you." He got up from the floor. "Let's get you back to the hospital wing." Mechanically she got to her feet after him.

"You shouldn't love me," she told him.

"Nope."

"You really shouldn't."

"I know." She looked at him, his bright blue eyes staring her down, her heart thundering and suddenly the urge from earlier that day returned. She turned and began to run. "Dromeda!" he called, and for a moment she heard his feet behind her but she was booking it as fast as she could, faster than she'd thought she'd ever go. She ran away with only two thoughts in her head. If she ever saw him again, it would be too soon and if he stopped her in her tracks that second it wouldn't be soon enough.

**Wow, I think that's the fastest I've posted a chapter since the summer. I'm kinda happy with myself for that at least.**

**Thanks to Emma for checking this beforehand. I asked her if Andromeda was too insane to make sense to anyone but me. If Andromeda's still seems too insane or out-of-character to you, I'm really sorry. Please tell me so I know and can work on keeping her in check.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	22. Part 2: Chapter 5

If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_December 1969_

"Where are you going?" Francis asked as she came into Andromeda's dorm to find her heading for the door.

"Just out," Andromeda replied. "I'll be back."

"You're going to go see Ted."

"I didn't say that."

"You are. You've been moping about the past two weeks because of him." Andromeda didn't say anything back. "Can't you just write him a letter? What if you get caught?"

"Then don't tell them. Francis, I have to go. I can't let things end like this," Andromeda hissed back.

"No one said anything about this being the end. I mean, you won't tell me what happened but-"

"Trust me this needs to end before one of us gets hurt. Maybe now he'll end it. I just, I need an ending. It can't end like it did. It can't end with me running away; it can't end like everything else, like everyone else's shitty mistakes."

"Why can't you end it?" Francis asked. Andromeda didn't meet her eyes but still, the look on her face said that she had realized what was going on. "You love him?"

"I have to go," Andromeda replied as she got up and slipped away. She heard Francis get up from where she was sitting and trail after her into the corridor after Andromeda left the common room.

"You should tell him. He might want to know," Francis told her dryly.

"Which is exactly why I shouldn't tell him," Andromeda replied. "He needs to end this because I can't. Good-night," Andromeda told her and then hurried away her hand in her pocket with her grip around her wand.

"Good-night," Francis replied softly. Andromeda passed by Slughorn's office where she could hear voices from his Saturday night dinner still chatting away. She hadn't been invited. Slughorn had seemed to be ignoring her since the night he had warned her about Bellatrix's new "love." Her feet carried her further up the stairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. She knew that Professor Bes was never in her office over the weekends. Most of the students had noticed when they tried to obtain help with their homework. After getting passed the locked door, which wasn't terribly difficult, Andromeda easily made her way to the fireplace and took a handful of Floo Powder from the container on the top. She bit her lip before starting a fire in the grate with her wand and throwing the green powder on it. She yelped out the name of Ted's work and got into the flames, feeling herself twisting and spinning towards her destination. She landed on her feet and dusted herself out in a small room with two fireplaces. There were three doors directly in front of the fireplaces and one on the right wall, an office she guessed, with a name printed on the door that was hard to read in the dim light. Ted had mentioned before that lately on Saturday nights he was left in a room to supervise the Mandrakes. She looked at the titles on the door. The one furthest to the right was titled Experiments. There was a "Mundane" door to the very left, so Andromeda took the middle one and walked through. The room was larger than it ought to have been. From the distance between the doors, this room ought to have been slightly bigger than a broom closet. Instead it was wide enough to feel like walking into a jungle exhibit. Around her, plants were moving and strange noises could be heard. Andromeda strained her ears, listening for one noise that was made by a living, breathing mammal.

Vaguely, she realized that things were in rows, though she couldn't understand the organizational system in the slightest. She was beginning to wonder why she'd thought this was such a brilliant idea. How on earth was she even going to find Ted if he was even here? Her feet stopped in the middle of an aisle and she sighed, turning around to try and find her way back. She hit something as she turned and it began to yell, cursing worse than a sailor. Andromeda yelped and scurried back from it as she heard footsteps racing towards her. "Shut-up!" she yelled at it. If anything it got louder. A light whine came from her mouth as she began hearing words that she had no idea what they meant but she had a fairly good idea of the intention. "Stop," she panted, her eyes darting around as though that would give her a clue of how to stop the plant. "St-" and suddenly, it did. But the footsteps had also stopped. Andromeda looked up to see Ted, sticking his wand back in his pocket and staring at her, his eyes looking right at her. And he wasn't saying anything.

"You have to cast a freezing charm on it."

"Oh," she replied as they fell into silence as he stared at her, a look in between misery and a glare. "This is where you usually say 'Wotcher'," she informed him. He still stared at her and she took a step towards him. His eyebrows lowered perhaps a fraction of an inch but otherwise nothing happened. "Ted?" Still nothing. "Alright, you don't have to talk to me."

"Damn right I don't have to," Ted grumbled suddenly. "Merlin, Dromeda, you leave me in the middle of a hallway, just turn and run. I say I love you and you just turn and run! If I don't want to talk to you, I really don't have to do I? And if I want to yell my head off at you I think I have an understandable right to do that too!"

"You- you do," Andromeda agreed.

"And here you are, you just- just show up here assuming I'm going to talk to you, assuming you can make things better. And I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do now! This was supposed to be-"

"Then end it. Break up with me. I'll go away."

"Break up with you? Didn't you already break up with me? I'm not saying you had to say you loved me back, Dromeda, but something other than running away would have been nice! And then you don't talk to me, don't say anything for two weeks, not a word."

"I can't break up with you," Andromeda mumbled. "I can't."

"Well what makes you think I can?"

"Because you thought I did already so it's really not-"

"Dromeda I can't. You're going to have to do it because I love you. Have you got that through your skull? You obviously don't feel the same, so you have be the one to end it. You stop it. You break it off! I can't!" he yelled, his face twisted in anger, his eyes full of sadness. Andromeda wanted to cry.

"I can't," she said weakly. "I can't do that, Ted, I can't. I want to. I want to end this. I want to be safe, I want _you_ to be safe, screw my safety. I've been a disaster since birth."

"Don't say that," Ted sighed. "Dromeda, you're not a disaster."

"Yes I am! I'm not the daughter they want, the daughter they need. I'm not the right sister, the right friend, I'm not who I'm supposed to be at all. And even being all I'm _not_ supposed to be, I'm _still_ not who I should be to be with you. I'm not brave. Ted I'm more cowardly then you'll even know. And I can't end this, but I need you to. I need you to so badly. Tell me anything. Say you've moved on, say you've got another girl, say this has all been some stupid joke anything but-"

"I love you," Ted finished but his eyes were sincere. "I love you, Dromeda. No. You say you're not who you're supposed to be to them, well good! I wouldn't love you if you were. But maybe you'll get to be like them. Maybe then I can stop feeling like this and you'll be a good daughter like they've always wanted."

"I will never be the daughter they wanted," Andromeda told him harshly. "Because the daughter they wanted would never in a million years have fallen in love with you! I'm a failure in all regards. I couldn't tell you. That made it too real. You weren't supposed to love me! That just made it worse, don't you see? You can't love me. You need to break up with me because I can't break up with you." Andromeda could feel silent tears beginning to stream down her face. "I love you. Damn-it Ted, I love you."

"What makes you think that I love you any less?" he asked, coming closer. Most of the anger had evaporated from his face. His voice was gentle.

"You have to."

"I can't," he said quietly. Suddenly, she darted forward, into his arms, pressing her lips against his more harshly than she ever had before. For a moment, he just leaned back, startled by the sudden new kiss and then he wound his arms around her waist and kissed her back. Her heart began to hammer with a new kind of fury, a potion bubbling over as her hands shook, finding two buttons in the middle of his robe and pulling them apart until his robe was slipped on the ground and her own was only dangling off one arm. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans underneath and Andromeda had on a skirt that fell to her knees, socks that went up just as high, and a mis-matched jumper. Her hands slipped at the crease between his shirt and jeans, putting her hands on the skin of his stomach and sliding them down, moving to unfasten them, fumbling with the brass button. Suddenly Ted, groaned and yanked back, grabbing her wrists in his hands and holding her back.

"No."

"Ted, please. I want-"

"No. You're- you're all disoriented and I can't- no- Oh Merlin, no." He dropped her wrists and drug his fingers through his hair with a moan. Andromeda stepped up next to him, letting her hand slide up his shirt again. His eyes shot to her face.

"You're not taking advantage of me, you know. No more than I'm taking advantage of you. You don't-"

"No!" he yelped, darting away from her again and running into the swearing plant.

"Ted why-"

"I can't. We can't! Dromeda- Oh Merlin you don't know how much I want to tackle you right now."

"Then do," Andromeda said, walking towards him, the plant swearing loudly again. Ted stepped back.

"No."

"Ted."

"No, no, no!"

"But I want you."

"This isn't a question of want in any way, shape, or form. If this was about want, let's- let's not go into what would be happening right now."

"You're not taking advantage of me."

"Yes, I would be. And besides that, my mother would know."

"Wait," Andromeda said, finally pausing. "Your mother would know?"

"Yes. She would. Trust me, she just knows. My brother and his wife stop by for Christmas two years ago. She takes one look at my sister-in-law and says, 'you're pregnant.' She took a pregnancy test and it was negative but two days later she takes another one and it's positive."

"Well then your brother and his wife-"

"Muggle pregnancy tests don't work like that! You need multiple days or-or something. I don't know exactly but she was when my mother said she was."

"Nonetheless, that's hardly the same thing. There are charms we can use. I wasn't intending to get-"

"Alright, alright my sister and her husband were supposed to go on their honeymoon and they leave to find out their flight got cancelled. So they call my parents to get picked up because their house can't be moved into yet but neither of them still have their old places and when my dad comes in with them my mum shakes her head and says, 'in the airport Marianne?'. I mean seriously, I don't know how she does it but my sister and her husband both turned bright red."

"Funny but possibly a good guess," Andromeda told him walking towards him again. "I mean on they're honeymoon people tend to be-"

"My other sister, Lisa goes and totally snogs a guy for the first time, a guy she didn't know, just snogging but still. My mother took one look at her and shook her head. Says something about at least Lisa didn't go all the way. She knew, damnit. My mother always knows. And they're already on to me, the lot of them, my stupid sisters, love them though I do. They know I've got a girlfriend. They knew I was in love with you before I did! And I don't even see them that often! And my mother- my mother will know if I-"

Andromeda began to laugh and Ted glared at her. "It's not funny."

"It is very funny," she said quietly. "I doubt my mother would notice if I put a big sign on my forehead that said that my virginity was officially over. She probably wouldn't even care if she did notice. Bella's is certainly gone. And you, you're pretty much having a panic attack thinking about your mother's reaction."

"You would too if your mother was like mine."

"My mother might consider disowning me for losing it to a muggle-born but it certainly wouldn't be for losing it. She might even be proud I did it in a larger area than a broom cupboard like most of my family did."

"I think you'd better go back to Hogwarts," Ted told her, reaching down and scooping up her robe. "I need to get back to work and you need to- well you need to stop testing my principles. I'll see you soon." He began shoving her towards the door.

"Ted-"

"No, you have to go," he told her, opening the door and pushing her through it. "There's Floo powder on top of the mantle."

"Alright, alright fine." He leaned in and gave her a chaste little kiss on the lips, keeping his angled body as far from hers as possible.

"Good-night, Andromeda, I love you." She looked him in the eye with all seriousness.

"I love you too Ted."

"We're both dead aren't we?"

"Completely," she sighed, taking a handful of Floo Powder and throwing it on the fire. "Professor Bes's office, Hogwarts!" she bellowed. The flames turned green and she stepped into them, landing in her office again. She slipped through and locked the door, pulling the robe on over her clothes and fastening it in a hurry as she slid into the common room grateful that no one was in there. She thought about going to bed but her mind was far too keyed up. Instead she walked over to the corner where she had been with Francis before and picked up the book she had been reading. Within ten minutes, she had fallen asleep in the chair.

A quiet voice woke her up at about five in the morning. Narcissa's face was in front of her, studying her.

"Did you fall asleep down here, Annie?" Narcissa asked.

"I- I must have," she agreed, glancing at the clock. "What are you doing up now?"

"I was really thirsty and I woke up but the pitcher in our room is empty and I don't know a refilling charm."

"You could use the tap."

"It's never cold. I was going to go down to the kitchens." Suddenly a look of confusion appeared on Narcissa's face. "Annie, why are you wearing a wizard's robes?"

Andromeda looked closer at her little sister. "Why are you?"


	23. Part 2: Chapter 6

If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_December 1969_

"So then-"

"Alphard!"

"Please!" Sirius begged, looking at his uncle. Andromeda felt her grin grow larger as her great-aunt Cassiopeia glared at her uncle. Her aunt's disapproving gaze turned to her, and she felt herself beginning to fidget like she was only eight again. Well, maybe not eight. Regulus was eight and he was sitting perfectly still. Then again, he was sitting next to Bellatrix, and he had seemed terrified of her since that summer. He seemed to be operating with his best possible manners and as little conversation as possible. Bellatrix, on the other hand, was completely ignoring him and talking to over his head to his mother.

"Andromeda, stop smiling like that. It's hardly dignified in someone over the age of four," Aunt Cassiopeia snapped. Her uncle Alphard looked up at her. He was sitting across from her at their family dinner with Sirius on his right and Aunt Cassiopeia on his left. "I'm sorry for her behavior," the older woman growled at Rodolphus who was sitting on Andromeda's right. "Hopefully now that she's of age she'll be wise enough to stop being so childish."

"I certainly don't mind," Rodolphus replied, his eyes dancing from Cassiopeia Black to Andromeda. She felt someone's foot brushing against her right calf and she quickly tucked it behind her left trying to keep her face straight. "Someone playful is good in my estimation," he chuckled. Andromeda felt her face heating with anger and hoped it would pass as a blush.

"Come on, tell me," Sirius whispered to their uncle.

"A little might be good but a lot isn't proper in the slightest," Cassiopeia continued. Andromeda fought hard not to roll her eyes. She would be good. Experience had shown her that rising to her great-aunt's comments only served to get her in trouble with her parents or grandparents. Besides, she could treasure in her mind the letter she had, still unopened in her pocket, making her fidget and grin. It had arrived just before dinner and she had only had time to shove it in her pocket before hurrying down the stairs. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she had shoved it in her pocket. It wasn't like she was bound to get a chance to read it while she was sitting between her aunt Walburga, who was Sirius and Regulus's mother, and her fiancé.

"Andromeda, take Sirius and Regulus away from the table," her mother decided, glancing over at the boys' mother. Aunt Walburga nodded and Andromeda picked up her napkin from her lap and scooted back as Sirius quickly shoved back his chair. Regulus was more reluctant, his eyes cautiously watching Bellatrix and his mother who were on either side of him before slowly pulling away and sliding over to Andromeda's side, a relieved smile spreading on to his face. Sirius was already out of the room. She smiled at her youngest cousin and walked out of the room with him, waiting until they were out of the room before she lightly squeezed his shoulder.

"So where do you think that brother of yours got off to?" she asked quietly.

"I'm right here Annie," Sirius said, peeking around a doorway. "Come on, let's go outside."

"Sirius, there's a blizzard outside," she reminded him.

"So?" he asked stubbornly.

"You'll blow away."

"I will not. I'm too big."

"Could he really blow away?" Regulus asked, fastening his hand in Andromeda's as she followed Sirius towards the door, intending to stop him if he actually tried to go outside. She glanced at Sirius's back, making sure he was looking forward, and shook her head. Glancing to the side, she saw a bit of relief fall across Regulus's face.

"You are not too big. You'll blow right away," she said in a singsong voice.

"Make me bigger then. You're of age," Sirius prompted looking at her with a smirk.

"No."

"Please?" he begged. "Come on Annie, you could do it. You're of age now! It's not like it's illegal or anything."

"I think I agree with Sirius over there." Andromeda turned her head as Regulus pulled his hand away. "You certainly are of age now."

"I'm well aware of my own age thank you," she replied curtly to Rodolphus. Regulus looked over at them with confusion in his eyes as he stood next to his brother. Rodolphus took a step forward brushing his hand against her cheek.

"I can really see the Black family beauty in you now," he told her.

"Thank you," she said, trying to remain as neutral as possible. She took a step backwards away from him. In his face she could see in that something was wrong with her reaction.

"You really have different eyes though. I can see what you really feel. That will have to change," he said regaining the closeness he'd had a moment before. She twisted her fingers in her palms, watching him cautiously. In her stomach she felt a flutter of fear beginning to grow. There was something in his face, in his eyes that was more frightening than she had seen before.

"You've never really looked at Bella then have you," she asked him, tilting her foot, ready to run.

"It doesn't matter with Bella. Besides, I didn't mean it would have to change permanently. I kind of like it." He reached forward and grabbed her forearm, pulling her close to him. Without thinking she jerked back and felt his grip tighten. Andromeda bit her lip, trying not to cry out, very aware of her cousins' eyes pasted on her. She tried not to squirm as Rodophus's breath came down on her. Her heart began to pound unpleasantly as he reached out with his other arm and put it around her waist, dragging her closer to him. He leaned forward and instinctively she leaned back as best she could. He chuckled, tugging her so that she was pressed up against him. His hand moved from her arm to the top of her back, between her shoulder blades, keeping her from leaning away. He felt too warm and strange and she wanted to yell. She wanted Ted. He held her tight but never with his arm digging into her waist, causing her pain.

"Let her go!" Sirius demanded. Andromeda heard his voice to her side as Rodolphus lowered his lips on to hers and she tried to walk backwards, to get away, but she couldn't. "Let go!" Sirius repeated harshly, grabbing a hold of the arm Rodolphus was using to hold Andromeda by the waist.

"Stay out of this. You'll understand someday," Rodolphus laughed unpleasantly, his hot breath falling on Andromeda's face. Andromeda bit her lip and began to squirm, trying to get away, with her hand trying to get discreetly towards her pocket. "See the way I understand it, you're of age now which means we ought to be able to kick this up a notch and nobody would mind a bit," he commented, his hand on her back moving back to her arm and yanking it backwards, away from her pocket, away from her wand. Without meaning to, she yelped, mostly in shock but somewhat in pain.

"Let go of her!" Sirius yelped again. Regulus whined and dashed away. Rodolphus's hand on her waist began moving towards the front of her robes, giving her a little more space but still not letting her free. He had her wand arm behind her back and quickly slipped his hand back around her waist, this time through her robe. She could feel his hand moving lower, past her stomach. "Let her go!" Sirius persisted loudly as Andromeda heard footsteps hammering into the room. Sirius grabbed Rodolphus arm again and the man yelled loudly, cursing as he sprang away. Her cousin was shaking as Andromeda quickly pedaled backwards, a gap in the clasps of her robe, revealing her stomach. "I- I told you to let go!" Sirius proclaimed.

"What's going on?" Bellatrix asked as she stood there with Regulus. The little boy quickly darted over by Andromeda taking her hand again as if declaring her as his alone. She began snapping her robes together clumsily with the other hand. Sirius glared at Bellatrix and took another step back, putting him as far as possible from Bellatrix and Rodolphus without escaping out the front door into the blizzard.

"Kid got a stinging hex on me," Rodolphus explained.

"Yeah?" Bellatrix asked him, coming to stand next to him casually. Andromeda glared at her older sister.

"He wouldn't let go of Annie!" Sirius yelped.

"I was just playing with her. You wouldn't understand," Rodolphus accused him.

"No he wasn't, was he?" Regulus muttered. Andromeda closed her eyes and squeezed his hand.

"What was that?" Bellatrix asked him.

"I- I said that he- he wasn't. He wasn't just playing. It didn't l-look like that," Regulus stumbled.

"And what would you know either?" Rodolphus laughed. "Andromeda and I are going to be married. She won't be yours for much longer," he said, glancing down at Regulus's firm grip on Andromeda's hand.

"Leave him out of this. He's just a little boy," Andromeda commanded shakily.

"I'm- I'm big," Regulus argued. "I can- I can tell her what-"

"Bella, just stop this! You know him, I know you do," Sirius demanded. "I saw- I heard you talking early about that- that- you called it Dark Lord! You're friends with him. Tell him to leave Annie alone." Rodolphus looked over at Bellatrix.

"Yes, Bella, do tell me. Tell me not to play around a little with my fiancé." Andromeda looked up at her sister and saw that her face was a mask. Beside her, she felt Regulus trembling and out of the corner of her eye she saw Sirius glaring. In front of her, Rodolphus had his arms crossed over his chest with his eyebrows raised. Only Bellatrix was unreadable for a moment in the silence.

"No, I don't see why that's a problem," Bellatrix said finally, her voice slightly less confident than her words.

"I thought you were going to help," Regulus told her, his voice full of disappointment.

"Come on," Andromeda told him, tugging on his hand and pulling him toward the door they had used to come into the room. She glanced back at Sirius, and he threw a last glare at Bellatrix and Rodolphus before he rushed after them. She led both of them to the drawing room, still hearing voices from the dining room. As she entered, she sank down on the couch, her eyes stinging in her effort not to cry.

"Are you really going to leave us to be with him Annie?" Regulus asked, sitting down on the couch and then crawling closer to her. "He said that you were going to marry him."

"I have to marry him someday."

"You shouldn't!" Sirius said, stamping his foot. "He was being mean. He was- he was trying to-"

"He wanted to kiss me. I just didn't want to be kissed," Andromeda simplified.

"Why would you want to?" Regulus asked, wrinkling his nose. "That's gross."

"Of course," she said, making herself smile as she looked down at her cousin. Sirius raised his eyebrow at her.

"You've let him kiss you before. He came while you were home for the summer and he kissed you but he wasn't mean like that."

"He's just- I'm- I'm of age now Sirius. Things are different. I have to grow up."

"No!" Regulus protested. "I don't want you to grow up. I want you to stay with me and Sirius forever."

"Sirius and me," Andromeda corrected.

"Promise Annie, promise you won't leave us," Regulus pleaded.

"Don't be silly. She can't promise that. Someday she's going to get big and have little kids of her own and she won't have time for us. We won't see her at all."

"Sirius, you're being silly. Of course I'll still see you."

"Will you?"

"What do you think you're doing?" came a harsh voice and Andromeda looked towards the doorway. Aunt Cassiopeia looked them all over, her eyes narrowed. "I thought Rodolphus was going to spend time with you."

"He and Bellatrix are speaking," Andromeda informed her.

"He was being mean!" Regulus exclaimed. "He wouldn't let go of Annie!"

"Andromeda shouldn't have been resisting. She should be making herself fall in love with him."

"It doesn't work like that," Sirius spat at her.

"Sirius," Andromeda scolded.

"It's true! Isn't it?" he asked, looking at Andromeda. "You can't make yourself fall in love with someone, can you? And anyway, he was being mean. Annie shouldn't have to marry him."

"How would I know?" Andromeda questioned. She glanced back up at her aunt and saw that she was being studied with distaste. Then she noticed that Uncle Alphard was standing in the doorway, watching them.

"It would be wise if you did," Aunt Cassiopeia hissed, looking at Andromeda, her eyes narrowed in a near glare. "Especially in these times. I doubt discursions from the plan will be treated as lightly as they have in the past."

"But he was being a jerk!"

"Sirius!" Andromeda reprimanded.

"He was. Don't you understand? Annie can't marry him. He'll be mean to her."

"Sirius, Regulus, why don't I finish telling you that story now?" Uncle Alphard suggested suddenly.

"But-"

"Come on Sirius," he ordered. "Regulus," he added more lightly. Slowly, Regulus broke away from Andromeda and slinked over to his uncle's side. Stamping his feet, Sirius followed the pair out of the room.

"You need to be more careful."

"I'm not about to break the engagement."

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Andromeda told her. The old woman met her eyes and Andromeda looked down.

"No, you don't. You don't understand how much danger you're in right now."

"I'm not about to break the engagement."

"That's part of it. Stupid girl." She sighed. "Either way, you're headed in to danger, don't you see that now."

"What do you mean either way? There is no other way is there?"

"No," Aunt Cassiopeia replied quickly. "There is no other way." She sighed again and then turned away. "I'm going to go join my _brother_ again."

"Okay," Andromeda nodded, and received a glare. She winced behind her aunt's back as Casseopia Black left the room. Andromeda took a deep breath before deciding to go after her cousins and Uncle Alphard.

**I know, I know, there's nothing about the incident with Narcissa. Don't kill me! It comes up again. Actually, the next few chapters are in very close succession time wise (all in December 1969).**


	24. Part 2: Chapter 7

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_December 1969_

"I want to go shopping today."

"What?"

"Shopping. I want to go shopping."

"Fine go," Andromeda grumbled, rolling over.

"Annie," she whined. Andromeda pulled the blanket over her head. She felt a tug and her head lightly thumped as Narcissa pulled her pillow away. Glaring as she tried to focus on her little sister, Andromeda sat up in her bed.

"What?" she growled.

"I want to go shopping."

"Fine. Later," she replied, glancing over at the clock on the wall next to her bed. It was seven in the morning.

"No, now."

"No, later. I want to sleep in. We're on holiday," she grumbled, laying back down and turning her back.

"Annie," Narcissa whined again, taking a seat on her sister's bed.

"Ask me again in two hours," Andromeda moaned.

"I'll tell," Narcissa whispered desperately and Andromeda opened her eyes fully.

"Tell what?"

"You know what."

"I'm afraid I don't."

"I haven't told yet but I know exactly whose robes you were in and exactly what you were doing."

"Trust me, you don't."

"It was Ted Tonks and you slept with him."

"No, I can swear to you I didn't." Narcissa studied her for a moment before shaking her head.

"Fine, whatever you think you can make me believe. But I do know something's going on and I have enough evidence to prove it if I tell. Now come on, I need to go shopping."

"For what?"

"Holidays," Narcissa suggested. Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "Annie, please," Narcissa pleaded.

"I need to get ready," Andromeda told her with a sigh.

"Okay," Narcissa agreed, getting off of the bed. Andromeda sat up again and yawned as she got out of bed. "I'm going to go get ready myself," Narcissa stated, walking out of the room. Andromeda studied her from behind. She was already fully dressed and her hair was lying smoothly against her scalp. Her feet seemed to glide along the floor. Something was wrong though, something out of place. With a sigh she reached into her wardrobe for clothes and began to get dressed.

Half an hour later, her hair pulled into a tight ponytail and her wand in her pocket, she headed downstairs to go get breakfast. She paused in the doorway when she heard her father's voice and she watched from where she stood. Narcissa was sitting at the table, looking up at their father and uncle. Alphard was standing, leaning casually against the wall talking to his brother, their father. He glanced up for a moment and then looked back, realizing that Andromeda was there. "I think I will be accompanying you and your sister," he told her. "I promised Sirius that I would take him holiday shopping last night and since you and your sister seem inclined to go out today, I would appreciate your help with the little boys. I'm told they can be quite a handful," he said with a smile.

"Occasionally, yes," she answered, entering the dining room and looking around for Dolly, the house elf. Narcissa pushed a plate of toast along on the table.

"I got some for you already. I want to get going as soon as possible," she said quietly. Andromeda sighed and sat down next to her sister.

"How long are you going to stay for Uncle Alphard?" Narcissa asked as he too sat down at the table. Andromeda began spreading butter on her toast. "I didn't manage to ask when I saw you at dinner a couple of days ago."

"Not too much longer," he answered vaguely. Andromeda noticed her father eyeing him carefully, as though monitoring his words.

"How are things going at Durmstrang?" Andromeda questioned as she gave up searching for the cinnamon on the table.

"Oh, alright, you know," he replied. "It's a school, just like any other. Just a bit colder." Andromeda smiled, taking into note his robe again. It was lighter, more summery than what they were wearing. To him the weather here felt hot. Alphard was two years older than her father and had been teaching at Durmstrang since Andromeda was two. He came back sporadically; his last visit had been three years ago. Before that he had spent the entire summer before she had started her second year. When they were younger, he had always been a person of immense interest and fixation for Andromeda and her sisters. He didn't fit the typical mold. He wasn't married and he paid just as much attention to them as he paid to the adults. And, Narcissa had been the first to point it out, he always looked a little sad. Andromeda realized that this was still true. Beneath his cheerful demeanor, his grey eyes looked disheartened, lacking in the same pride that the rest of her family seemed to hold so close.

Suddenly she heard a crash in the living room and she jerked back in her chair hurrying towards the noise, her uncle and father on her feet. She saw Sirius bending on the floor, grinning as he helped Regulus to his feet. Regulus was laughing to himself as he stood. His eyes caught on Andromeda's. "I fell out of the fireplace," he giggled. Andromeda managed a smile and shook her head as she walked over to him.

"You need to be more careful." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father leave the room.

"It was an accident."

"Did you push him Sirius?" she asked.

"No he just fell," Sirius protested.

"I really did!" Regulus added.

"Walburga sent you over here early," Uncle Alphard remarked.

"I was annoying her," Sirius told him seriously.

"I see someone's taken over my job," he smiled as Narcissa came into the room and handed Andromeda the toast she had never finished when she went racing towards the boys.

"Are we ready to go then?"

"Yeah, let's go," Regulus piped up cheerfully. Andromeda looked sadly at the toast in her hand and then began to eat it. She hardly felt awake enough to head off to Diagon Alley with the troublesome duo. A glance at her uncle showed her that she wasn't the only one. She swallowed the last of her breakfast and reached out her hand for Regulus's. He tugged it away. "I can go through the Floo by myself," he argued. Andromeda raised her eyebrows at him and then reached up on the mantel for the Floo powder.

"I'll apparate there," Uncle Alphard suggested. "Can you apparate, Annie?" he asked her.

"No, not yet. We don't start that class until later this year." Regulus took a handful of the powder and her uncle left with a pop. Andromeda left after Regulus, who was picking himself up off the ground with their uncle's help when she got there. Sirius followed close on her tail, nearly running into her, which he found immensely funny. Narcissa was last, gliding out of the fireplace, seeming miles away.

"Annie," Regulus said quietly, tugging on her arm. "Can we go to joke shop? Please? I want to get something for Sirius," he whispered. Andromeda smiled at him and gave a slight nod before catching her uncle's eye. She then nodded her head towards Regulus and then Sirius, and he nodded.

"Meet back here in an hour," he instructed as she took Regulus's hand and headed out of the Leaky Cauldron and out into Diagon Alley, leaving her uncle and Sirius behind. Narcissa followed after them until they got out onto the street.

"I'm going to go find something for Mother," Narcissa proclaimed suddenly, pointing to a shop layered with pink. "Alone though. I want to go alone." Andromeda had only been in their once, looking for a book. She wrinkled her nose at the memory. Everything had smelled funny and the saleswitch had followed her around like a chipper puppy searching for a home.

"Have fun," Andromeda told her in bewilderment. Narcissa had pleaded so hard for Andromeda to accompany her and now she was just leaving on her own. Regulus was staring at the store across the street that Narcissa was headed too.

"I'm glad we don't have to go in there," he muttered to her as soon as they started walking again and Narcissa was halfway across the street. "Sirius would make fun of me forever."

"Not forever. Not if you were getting something for your mother," Andromeda told him as they strolled along.

"No, forever," Regulus assured her. "Look at it, Annie, it's all pink. Would you go in there?"

"I went in there last week to get a present for you," she told him with a wide grin.

"Annie, you didn't!" he yelped.

"Alright, I didn't. I got something for Sirius instead." Regulus giggled.

"Really?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know," he said as Andromeda pressed open the door of the shop. A faint bell tingled and the store manager glanced at them but didn't break his conversation with another customer. Regulus led the way over to another aisle and stood there with a look of such utter concentration on his face that Andromeda had to fight hard not to laugh. She heard the bell over the door ring again as she turned away to hid her smiling face from her cousin. "What's that word Annie?" he asked, pointing to a box.

"Illumination."

"What's that?" The bell rang again and Andromeda could hear a girl's laughter.

"It means that it gives off light."

"When?"

"Um," she said picking up the box and beginning to read it, "apparently whenever the person is about to-"

"Hey, Annie, look at this!" he suddenly squealed, dropping to his knees on the ground. With a sigh she got down too, leaning on the ground.

"What is it?"

"It's-"

"No. No, no, and no," she heard a man's voice say with a laugh and she felt herself gasp. Her heart began to pound as slowly she stood to her feet, trying to identify where the sound of his voice was coming from. She didn't know whether to avoid him or try to discreetly wave. She didn't get a chance to choose anyway.

"Oh come on, please? I promise I won't use it on you," a girl pleaded as Andromeda looked down the aisle and saw Ted standing there in front of her, looking just as shocked to see her as she was to see him.

"Um," he muttered quietly. Regulus looked at the new people nervously. A girl of about sixteen behind him broke into a huge grin. Andromeda studied her for a moment. She was about a head shorter than Andromeda was with light brown hair and the same bright blue eyes that Ted had.

"Oh, so you're-" she began cheerfully into the silence.

"Kitty," Ted said sharply.

"What? It's nice to-" she stuck out her hand towards Andromeda and Regulus glared at her.

"Go away!" he yelped. "You've got funny clothes. You must be a mud-blood," he snarled, tugging on Andromeda's hand to pull her back along with him. It shook her back to reality.

"Go away," she said, more faintly, her eyes pleading with Ted to understand. He had to know that Regulus would tell, not to get her in trouble but out of just being a little boy who wouldn't understand why he needed to keep a secret.

"But-" Kitty began and suddenly shut her mouth as her eyes dashed between her brother and Andromeda and then falling on Regulus. "But you've been mean to him, mean to my brother! No! You're a- a-" she was struggling to find a word as Ted caught on and grabbed his sister's arm.

"Come on," he urged. "Let's go. I don't want to be around her and neither do you," he growled. Andromeda could read in his face that he was trying not to laugh but Regulus didn't appear to figure that out. He was still glaring. She fought not to smile as Ted turned his sister around the corner and managed a small wink in her direction. Feeling the fight for the corners of her mouth to rise, she looked down at Regulus. He was still scowling.

"Were they really both mud-bloods?" he asked in distaste. Andromeda wasn't about to tell him that Kitty was actually a muggle. If he happened to tell someone, they could realize that she knew too much.

"I suppose so," she answered.

"And you were mean to him? To the boy?"

"Yes," she answered shortly. Regulus seemed satisfied.

"That's what you're supposed to do. Mother said."

"Right, you're mother says," Andromeda agreed, glancing back towards the door where Ted and Kitty had just left.

"Did you get something for mother?" Andromeda asked as Narcissa Flooed into the drawing room after her that afternoon. Uncle Alphard had gone to check that the little boys had gotten home safely.

"Yes," Narcissa answered, holding up the bag. "What else would I have gotten?"

Andromeda shrugged. "Something for yourself I suppose."

"I suppose so," she answered before heading up the stairs. Andromeda sighed and sat down on the couch, pulling a copy of the paper towards her. The story of tracking down Voldemort had long since fallen off the front page. There hadn't been another attack since the first one. The front page story was only about a pair of beaters on the Falmouth Falcons team who had been nudged into retiring by Quidditch officials, tired of cleaning up bloody messes. Andromeda skimmed over it, turning to the next page when she heard someone walk into the room. She looked up to see the tall, lanky figure of her uncle Alphard.

"Come on," he ordered.

"Where?"

"Put the paper down. Your room. Or wherever. Somewhere we won't be overheard. Come on," he said sternly. She looked at him in confusion. He sighed. "There's something you need to see. Come on." Slowly she refolded the paper and stood up, stepping ahead of him and walking up to her room. He closed the door behind him as he entered and pulled his wand out of his pocket casting a spell. Andromeda crossed her arms over her chest, feeling very uncertain. Uncle Alphard had never been the one to act so strangely.

"I should have guessed it would be you," he sighed, still facing the door.

"Be me what?"

"Who fell for the wrong guy."

"I don't-"

He turned around sharply to face her. "Sirius wanted to go to the joke shop too. I saw you. I saw him. I saw the way you were looking at each other! Even his sister could read it and apparently she's never met you before."

"Look that wasn't-"

"You may manage to fool an eight year old who's never seen anyone really in love in his life but you're not about to fool me. You're not about to fool someone who's been through it all."

"I don't know what-"

"Tell me you haven't realized you're in love with him yet. It'll make it so much harder if you have."

"I don't understand-"

"No you don't," he interrupted sharply, his eyes narrowing at her. "Don't you think I know what's going on? But of course no one talks about that."

"Talks about what?" she asked desperately.

"Did you think you were the only one?"

"The only one what?"

"Drop the act. I know what you're doing. You can't deny it to me, to me of all people. You can't deny it to someone who's been there." Andromeda didn't say anything, just looked over at him, the silence falling thick between them. "Did you really think you were the only one?" he asked again.

**Okay, Narcissa and her knowledge of what happened with Andromeda is going to be addressed more later. I know I only touched on it now.**

**Apparently Rodolphus is hated. I'm greatly sorry. Well not really. He's supposed to be hateable (is that a word. Spell check says no.) But I don't think it says whether or not he dies at the end of the seventh book so you can make up your own fate for him if you'd like.**

**Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter! Hope there's less hate inspiring in this chapter, lol.**

**Finally note (whoa, lot of bold today, I'm sorry) there're about three more chapters left in part two. I'm writing part three right now (and going back to edit the parts of part two). So far, it goes a bit fast time scale wise and I think it's going to continue that way because part three is the last part and it covers a longer span of time than the other two. Alright, done with bold text.**


	25. Part 2: Chapter 8

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_December 1969_

"I knew they tried to cover my tracks to you and your sisters and cousins but I never thought it would fool you for long. Merlin, why did they tell you I wasn't married?" Andromeda looked down at her feet.

"Well, they told us you were- you weren't able to have children and-" She was interrupted when her uncle snorted.

"Of course. Of course Walburga would like to say that. I can't remember how long it took her to get pregnant with Sirius. She didn't want to admit that there might be something wrong with her. I don't want to know what she ended up taking in order to have them. She's always been the most bitter." Andromeda still remained silent. He sighed, sinking down on her bed. "Come here. I want to show you something." She stayed standing. He shook his head as he pulled something out of his pocket and poked his wand at it to get it back to its normal size. "I borrowed this from Aunt Cassiopeia. Told her I needed it right after I made sure the boys got home alright," he told her, pointing his wand at his temple and drawing out a silvery strand. "She's been suspecting something like this I think. She didn't ask a single question, just handed it over. Come here," he added as he dropped the silver strand into the bowl. Andromeda bit her lip and took a small step closer as he placed the bowl on the floor. "You know what a pensieve is?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever used one?"

"No." He grabbed her hand and kneeled down in front of it, pulling her down with him.

"Lean forward and touch the surface," he instructed. Shakily she reached out her hand until it touched down on the surface. She winced as she felt like she was falling through the floor until she felt her uncle's hand on her arm.

Around her was a small alley, away from the people of a bustling street, and she saw a boy standing there. He was tall and skinny with soft black hair and grey eyes; it was her uncle Alphard somewhere in his late teens. And he was waiting, glancing up and down the corridor. Beside her, her adult uncle was watching, the sad look in his eyes seeming to be intensified. In the alley, she saw the younger Alphard stop leaning against the wall of a nearby building, looking at the opening in to the street behind Andromeda. She turned to see a girl slipping towards them. She was a mousy sort of girl; small in height, very skinny, big brown eyes and dishwater blonde hair. The young Alphard grinned widely as the girl passed right through Andromeda and her older uncle and into the boy's arms. "Sorry, I got held up by Jean. She wanted to talk about her summer break," the girl told him, as he let his hands rest on her hips, her hands rested against the sides of his rib cage.

"It's all right," he answered, before leaning down to kiss her. Her hands slid down, coming to rest against his hips. Andromeda twisted awkwardly as she glanced at her grown uncle next to her who was watching the scene with a look of longing.

"At least school is starting in a week," the girl said quietly as they pulled back, arms still holding them close together. "We can see each other more, right?"

"Of course," the younger Alphard smiled as the girl grinned up at him and they leaned close again. Andromeda yelped as someone came storming through her.

"How dare you! I knew something was going on but I never imagined it was this- this whore of a mud-blood Alphard!" someone yelled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Burga!" Alphard protested.

"How dare you be with her! How dare you taint our family name! And you," she sneered, turning to the girl, "how could you ever think you'd be good enough for him? How is it even thinkable that you're remarkable enough to even gain a glance in his sight?"

"I-"

"Leave her alone!" the younger Alphard jumped to her defense. The girl seemed terrified.

"Leave her alone? She's seduced you Alphard, made you think she was deserving of even your least attention." Her wand was in her hand, pointed at the mousy girl in front of her.

"It's not like that!" he yelled back. "Burga, you wouldn't understand! Let her go!" He reached forward and grabbed his older sister's wand arm, making her point her wand up as the girl watched. He gave the girl a glance and she nodded beginning to run. "Please let him stay safe," Andromeda heard her mutter as she ran out of the alley, passing through Andromeda and the older Alphard like a ghost without the chill. The scene around them began to swirl and Andromeda found herself standing in the familiar house of her father's parents.

They were in the drawing room and the windows were closed tight, as if afraid anyone might look in and see them. She noticed her father, twenty-five years younger, sitting on the ledge of the fireplace, a worried, lonely look in his eye. For the first time since she had been a very small girl and learned that he rejected too much affection, she had the desire to run up and hug him. He reminded her so much of Narcissa at that moment. Beside him sat his aunt, Cassiopeia, for once silent, looking at her hands, not judging. Andromeda saw for a moment what she didn't manage to see in her aging aunt now; she had been gorgeous. Already into her thirties, she was still stunning, her black hair sweeping against her shoulders in gentle waves, her body delicate and graceful looking. It was hard to see the person she was twenty-five years in the future. Lastly, next to her was Aunt Walburga, probably around nineteen or twenty, still somewhat pretty in youth but nothing compared to Aunt Cassiopeia. Her eyes were narrowed, making her face scrunch. She was furious, fuming, hating. And all that was directed at the boy who sat awkwardly alone on the couch across from the fireplace.

The younger Alphard sat with his thin shoulder blades slumped downward, his head bent in shame. His hands twitched nervously in his lap as his foot tapped against the ground. Looking closer, she realized that silent tears were streaming down his face. He was being stared at by everyone in the room but his brother and his aunt; his parents two were sitting on the other couch, watching him with distaste in their eyes. "Well?" Walburga asked into the silence of the room. Cassiopeia seemed to flinch.

"It's up to Alphard now," his father said, looking down at the boy sitting alone on the couch.

"What is?" he asked, his voice harsh. He finally looked up, causing his sister to glare more, spotting the tears on his face.

"You leave her or we leave you," he answered sharply. The boy's eyes cast desperately around the room, trying to catch a look from his aunt but she wasn't looking up from her hands. "It's not that hard of a decision," he went on harshly. "It's your family, your fortune, your good name, your life as you know it pitted against some feeble muggle girl whose attention will probably drift to another man within less than a week."

"That's not true!" Alphard suddenly barked, seeming startled a moment later that he had managed to speak. "She loves me. She's not-"

"It doesn't matter. You have to answer the question," came a calm, sad, female voice. Andromeda noticed that Aunt Cassiopeia was now looking up, straight into the eyes of her nephew. "Whatever you say, whatever they say, it doesn't matter except for the question. It's her or us." Andromeda noticed that her grandfather was glaring at her great aunt but her grandmother was still watching her son. The younger Alphard looked into his aunt's eyes for a moment before beginning to look around the room. Andromeda noticed that her younger father glanced up at him briefly, looking sad, lonely for a moment before looking back down at his hands. Alphard's eyes continued to rove the room desperately, as if searching for someone to say this was somehow a colossal joke, even while he knew that no such thing was true. Finally, his eyes caught on his sister's.

"Promise not to hurt her again," he demanded. "Promise to leave her alone."

"I owe no promises to you traitor," she hissed at him.

"Walburga," her mother scolded warningly.

"Promise," Alphard instructed, his voice stronger but Andromeda could see the panic in his eye. For the first time in a while she glanced at her adult uncle. He was staring at the ground, looking much the same as the younger version of her father did.

"Only if you leave her. If you stay with her, you're both forever fair game," she answered, "even when the little whore leaves you for someone else."

"She's not-"

"It will do you no good Alphard," Cassiopeia interrupted. "It will do you no good to rise to their insults."

"Say you promise then," he said, his voice beginning to break as he turned to his sister. "Say it."

"I promise not to hurt the sniveling muggle if you leave her."

"Muggle-bo-"

"No good," Cassiopeia reminded again.

"Do you agree to leave her then?" his father demanded.

"Why do I have to? I won't let anyone know. It will die out. It has to die out," he protested.

"It's her or us and it's her or us now!" he yelled. "Make your choice." Alphard looked around desperately again but he received no help. "Make your choice!" his father demanded again as the scene began to swirl away.

They were standing in Diagon Alley and Andromeda noticed her uncle beginning to walk forward, following the back of his younger self. Andromeda noticed that the younger version of her uncle was no longer quite so young. He appeared to be well into his twenties and was even growing his beard a little. He was bundled up though, like everyone else on the street, not wearing his traditional summery robes. And he was headed into an apothecary.

The older Alphard stopped as his younger self went down an aisle and began looking at something. He was only there a moment when a toddler came waddling into the aisle and fell down right next to Alphard. The young man looked curiously at the child as his mother came whizzing around the corner after him, scooping the little boy up in her arms. "You never should have started walking," she scolded the toddler playfully as she situated him on her him. "I'm sorry about-" she paused suddenly as Alphard looked at her and she looked at him. She smiled lightly and glanced around before giving him a quick one armed hug.

"Alphard," she greeted happily, her voice growing more quiet. He studied her carefully as Andromeda looked her over, an unseen phantom in the aisle. Her older uncle was staring at the woman the same way his younger counterpart was. Andromeda saw, with a jolt of realization, that this was the same woman Alphard had been caught with when he was seventeen. She was older now and a bit less of a stick, though her short height hadn't changed. And there was a scar running along the left side of her face, from her temple to her cheek, faded but still very present. She remembered what her young uncle had said before about his sister not hurting her again.

"Aimee," he replied more faintly. He looked her over, his eyes catching on the toddler in her arms. "You have a baby," he commented, staring at the small boy in her arms. She nodded.

"This is Trevor," she told him.

"Trevor," he repeated, noticing her left hand. There was a ring on it. "You're married."

"Five years now," she nodded.

"Do you love him?"

"Very much," she answered. She looked at Alphard sadly. "You're not married though."

"Not allowed to."

"You're a grown up you know," she said, only half teasing.

"Only second. I'm a Black first." She sighed.

"I know. Merlin, Alphard, I know." She looked at him closely. "You broke my heart nine years ago."

"Mine too," he replied softly. "It was for the best though."

She nodded. "I know." The memory swirled again but this time Andromeda found herself back in her room, next to her uncle.

"I applied for a position teaching Astronomy at Durmstrang two days later. That September I started teaching. She's happy now, Aimee is. Trevor's her oldest. She had a little girl a year younger than you and a little boy two years younger than Narcissa as well. Loves her husband, loves her family, loves her life. She got to move on. I didn't." Andromeda didn't say anything, just looked at him.

"It hurts," he told her, sitting down on her bed. She sat down next to him, still not saying a word as he looked away. "It hurts to break up but it hurts worse not to be able to move on. It would hurt even worse to be torn from your family. And there's no grey area in the choice. You keep your family but lose your chance to have a normal life or you lose your family and live in fear that they'll find you, that they'll hurt you, that they'll hurt him. But that's if they find out. If you're waiting for it to die out, for you to stop loving him or him to stop loving you, you should know that every minute you're tempting fate. Someone could find out or someone who knows could let something slip, somehow, it could be revealed. You don't want to have to make that choice Annie. You don't want to be given an ultimatum, especially not now. Things are dangerous right now. Don't think I don't know it because I'm living away from home. You and I both know that just because there hasn't been another attack, doesn't mean that the problem has gone away. Unfortunately, I can see it in your sister. And unlike you, I've seen it in my boss, seen it in the headmaster of the school where I teach." He looked at her. "It is not a good time to be rebellious Annie. Not a good time at all."

He sighed. "Not that I chose a good time either. We started dating in my sixth year, the year the Chamber was opened. I liked to keep her close to me, thought the monster wouldn't attack her if I was near since I was as pureblood as could be. And she wasn't attacked. But at the same time, there was Grindelwauld raging outside in the world somewhere." He stared off into the distance. "That's what Walburga grew up on. And she thrived on it, was his follower from afar. She cheered when Orion and I sent letters home that said the monster had been unleashed, cheered even more when a girl was killed. That's why she hurt Aimee, why she would have hurt her more, would have hurt me. She's not so different from Bella. The only difference is I don't think Bella would physically hurt you unless she was completely enraged. But she'd take even more anger out on him." Andromeda looked down, biting at her lip.

"Aunt Cassiopeia, she's been watching you too. She's been there too. Nobody hurt him for her. It was a different time. But she was given the same choice." He turned his gaze to look at Andromeda again. "She was engaged like you are to Rodolphus, did you know? She was engaged when she started courting a muggle-born. But they broke off the engagement after she was discovered. They couldn't risk him ever knowing. Family secret and all that."

"Our family secrets are everywhere," she vaguely repeated, remembering Ted saying something to that extent, not more than a few months ago. Alphard smiled sadly.

"Only the ones who are disowned. The ones who are disowned make people start to talk. That's why you're given the option and not just kicked out. To everyone else, those of us who remain unmarried because of a digression from the plan are infertile or unwanted. There's usually one every generation who comes to the realization that muggle-borns aren't mud. That's the real family secret. The one that no one knows because most of the family denies it's true and those who don't deny it are the ones being covered up. So you can wait all you want Annie. But every second your choices become more limited." He got up from the bed and picked up the pensieve, shrinking it again and putting it in his pocket. "Good-bye I suppose. I'm headed back tomorrow. I've had enough of Walburga." Andromeda suddenly shot to her feet and raced over to her uncle.

"You won't tell?"

"You never said anything and all I heard was you telling him to go away," he told her, looking down at her sadly. He paused looking at her. "I should have known it would be you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"History likes to repeat itself. Take a look at the family tree sometime. Most of the time, it's the middle who breaks the tradition, but can't bear to break the family bond."

"So what are you telling me? To end it? Or to-"

"I'm not telling you anything. The choice is yours. The discovery that they're the same as us was yours. The decision to let yourself fall in love was yours. I'm just letting you know the facts. It's only fair that you know." He looked at her and sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid I won't be talking to you much more until I know it's over. I can't risk the past coming back up again. You're on your own Annie. I'm so sorry, but you're on your own." He turned and left the room, leaving her standing there, her head pounding. She sank down on the bed, trying to comprehend what she had learned.

**I'm really sorry if you thought Alphard was about to help Andromeda. I hope you guys liked his story though! Next chapter has Narcissa. Was going to be in this chapter but it got really long.**


	26. Part 2: Chapter 9

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_December 1969_

"Annie," came a quiet voice, interrupting her thoughts. She wanted to scream. Uncle Alphard had just left her room and all she wanted to do was sit and think, but she looked up to see Narcissa seeming like she was sinking in her skin. "Annie, I can't do it. I'm too scared."

"Can't do what?" she asked somberly, looking up at her sister. "Tell on me? Well thankfully you-"

"No," she sat down on Andromeda's bed and pulled out a small pamphlet and put it in Andromeda's hands. For the moment she was shaken out of her trance of thought.

"Cissy, you're-"

"I don't know. That's why I got it. I need to know." Tears began to squeeze out of her eyes. "I lied. I said I was just cold when I came back wearing his robes but Bella, she told me- she told me I would get over him if I- if we-" she broke off beginning to cry too much to talk. Andromeda reached forward and put her arms around her little sister. "It didn't help. Annie I still want him," she said trembling. "I want him to love me." She kept on crying as Andromeda picked up the pamphlet. There was a simple spell on it in order to tell if someone was pregnant or not. She dropped it back onto the bed as Narcissa pulled back, wiping back her tears with her sleeve. Andromeda pointed her wand at her sister and muttered the spell. A whisp of whitish smoke came out lightly encircling her sister's waist and then disappearing. Andromeda shook her head and Narcissa, to her surprise began to cry again.

"Cissy, it's okay. You're not. They won't know or-"

"I know that! And I should be happy. I should be but- but- Annie I don't know. I would have had someone to love me."

"I love you. Cissy, you know I love you."

"But he's going to take you away."

"There's no Ted any-"

"Not him! You'll lose interest in him and move on eventually. You won't risk everything for a stupid mud-blood. It's Rodolphus," she cried. "Rodolphus is going to take you away."

"I'll still come back."

"He'll break you! I won't have you. Either you'll be like Bella or you'll be a shell, you won't be you." She cried. "I could have slept with Lucius. I could have made him think the baby was his. Nobody but you would know, not even Aias." She continued to sob. "And somebody would love me."

"Cissy, that's not right."

"I know it's not! I didn't want to be pregnant and I'm glad I'm not but I could- If I was-" Andromeda reached out and held her again.

"I'll always love you. No matter what. Even if I am far away, even if I'm not the same, I'll love you, okay?" she asked as she held on to her little sister, feeling her sob.

"Do you promise to always love me? Say you can promise."

"I think it's the only thing I can promise," she muttered, rubbing her sister's back. Narcissa continued to cry until she feel asleep, curled up in Andromeda's arms. Slowly, she untangled herself from her sister and laid Narcissa down on the bed. She made a light noise in her sleep before rolling over on her side, her arms held near to her body. Sighing, Andromeda returned to her own thoughts, still trying to puzzle together her feelings about her uncle's revelation. Her mind was a tangled mess, and she struggled to find an end to begin untangling it with. Narcissa had only added to the confusing. After changing into her pajamas, Andromeda walked back over to her bed and lay down next to her sister, putting her hands behind her head and staring up at the ceiling until she drifted into a light sleep.

She woke up with a bit of a headache, Narcissa still asleep beside her, when she heard a tapping sound at her window. Andromeda rolled off of her bed and headed for the window, both glad and frightened to see the dark owl hovering outside in the early morning light with a letter. As quietly as possible, Andromeda opened the window and let her into the room. Within instants, the bird was darting about everywhere, the flapping of wings sounding impossibly loud to someone who was trying desperately not to awaken her little sister.

"Pip! Pip, settle down," Andromeda squealed quietly as she jumped around, trying to catch the dark owl who was darting about. Normally she was a lot calmer. "Pip, get down here!" Andromeda demanded, her voice still in a hushed whisper. Finally the medium sized owl came down close enough that Andromeda could grab the letter she was carrying before she began to fly about again. Andromeda pointed at the window in annoyance, and the owl gave a quiet, feeble hoot and settle down on top of the dresser. With a nod of approval, Andromeda sank down in her desk chair and began opening her letter before Pip flew down and sat on the desk. She gave a light hoot and Andromeda sighed before opening her middle drawer. "You know my room too well," she hissed to the owl as she handed over an owl treat. Pip took her new treasure up to Andromeda's window and waited for it to be opened. Andromeda let her out and then opened her letter, casting a glance over at her bed where Narcissa didn't appear to have moved. After seeing by Narcissa's gentle breathing that she was really asleep, Andromeda began to read her letter.

_Dear Dromeda,_

_I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry about Pip. Really, really sorry. Kitty decided it would be fun to feed her lots and lots of owl treats. If she managed to convince you to give her another owl treat, well, I told her not too. Both Kitty and Pip. Apparently I have no luck getting those of the female type to listen to me, regardless of species._

_In case you haven't deduced it from the presence of Kitty both today at Diagon Alley and in stuffing my owl on treats, I'm at my parents' house for the holidays. By the way, Kitty says hi and won't leave me alone until I say hello to you. She and Marianne keep looking over here and giggling like they're both still twelve._

_Anyway, I just want to make sure you're alright. Your cousin didn't suspect anything, did he? That was Regulus right? Not Sirius? I'm really surprised Kitty managed to catch on that fast. Although now I have to hear her babbling about how I'm in a Romeo and Juliet type of affair. _

_Hoping You're Alright,_

_Ted_

Andromeda bit her lip as her eyes scanned over the letter again before she heard Narcissa beginning to stir. She slid the letter under a book and then went and sat down at the edge of her bed, watching as Narcissa's eyes blearily opened. "I think I'm going to head to my own bed now," she muttered quietly.

"Okay," Andromeda agreed. "Are you alright?" Slowly she nodded as she began climbing out of the bed, making her way towards the door. She froze right next to the doorway.

"What's wrong?" Andromeda asked, crawling off her bed and heading towards her sister.

"Bella's out there; I can hear her voice."

"So?"

"She's got a boy with her," Narcissa added as Andromeda walked up and stood behind her.

"So that's Andromeda's room?" the boy Narcissa had mentioned spoke up and Andromeda felt a shiver go down her spine. It was Rodolphus. Narcissa cast a worried glance back at her. Andromeda shook her head and placed her hands on her younger sister's shoulders, listening carefully.

"Leave her alone, Rodolphus," Bellatrix said tiredly. It sounded as if they'd stopped in the hallway right in front of her door.

"I just want to give her a good-night kiss. Or a wake-up one as the case may be," he replied. Andromeda glared at the door.

"Not after what happened a week ago."

"It's not my fault I couldn't get any response out of her," he snorted.

"They'll be plenty of time for that."

"Wish it was you instead."

"No you don't. You can't control me," Bellatrix told him. "And you chose Annie. Go away Rodolphus. You've brought me home. That's as far as you go."

"I chose her when she was thirteen. I was only seventeen myself. I thought the world was going to stay the same; that it would be about bearing children and seducing the ministry. I was naïve."

"I don't believe you've ever been naïve." Bellatrix bit back. "Besides, I'm taken."

"Not in a way your parents will recognize. You'll be married eventually. Why not to me?"

"Is that what this is about? You want what he has? You think you're good enough for what he has?" she asked angrily.

"Hardly. But I'm different than anyone else you could end up with. I'll understand when you need to be his and not mine. Ouch!"

"I am not my sister and you would do well to remember that. When I don't wish to be touched by the likes of you, I won't be, got it?"

"Perfectly clear," he growled.

"Now go away."

"No. Not until I get an answer."

"No. I won't be yours. Not now, not ever. I belong to him and no one else."

"The Dark Lord would not object as long as I didn't hold you back from what you are doing for him, for the world. I saw you fight tonight Bella. I want you. I want you not that coward you have as your sister."

"Annie is no coward. Anything but. Not everyone shows bravery by returning blow for blow. Annie is many things, not all of them positive, I'll be the first to admit, but she's no coward. If she was, she would have kissed the likes of you back."

"That's what I want."

"Then you want Cissy, not Annie, and certainly not me. And fortunately for Cissy, she's already taken."

"Hey!"

"Let go of me!"

"You don't like me."

"I like you when you're not making advances at me. I'm taken."

"He wants you married. It avoids suspicions."

"Marrying my sister's fiancé doesn't. Good-night Rodolphus," Bellatrix told him firmly. Andromeda heard footsteps in the hallway as Bellatrix went of too her room and a pop that signaled that Rodolphus had just left.

"What did they do tonight?" Narcissa breathed in fear.

"What?"

"He said, he saw her fight tonight. It sounded like he saw her being brave," Narcissa explained. Andromeda shook her head.

"I don't know." Andromeda shook her head to clear the muddiness that had overtaken it and then took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not waiting for the paper."

"It'll be here soon and then- Annie we know it's probably bad, okay? It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters! We're living in a house with a murderer, don't you see that? And we don't even know what all she's done."

"Not now. Please! Let's just go to bed and in the morning-"

"It is morning," she said as she reached Bellatrix's door, Narcissa at her heels.

"You know what I mean." Andromeda shook her head, her hand on Bellatrix's door knob.

"Yes I do. But I want answers." She shoved open the door seeing from a lump on the bed that Bellatrix was already asleep, seeming uninhibited by her actions. Andromeda felt herself shaking. "Get up," she said harshly.

"Annie?" Bellatrix asked blearily.

"Get up."

"Can't this wait? I had a late night. I just got in a few minutes ago."

"I'd realized," Andromeda growled. "Get up."

"No."

"What have you done?"

"Done with who?" she yawned, sitting up in bed and shoving back the covers.

"You know who," Andromeda demanded.

"I didn't do anything permanent to them," she growled back. "I didn't kill them so stop your worrying. Go back to bed."

"Then what did you do to them?" Andromeda asked darkly.

"Annie, come on. Let's just go," Narcissa suggested.

"No! I want an answer."

"I didn't kill them!" Bellatrix insisted, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"What did you do with them? Where are they now?"

"With him," she answered, standing up. She was a couple inches taller than Andromeda and she was using that as best she could right now. She wanted her to stand down, to leave the issue alone.

"And what's he going to do with them?"

"Kill them I'd imagine," she shrugged. "After he's gotten what he wants out of them."

"Then you as good as killed them, didn't you?"

"No she didn't!" Narcissa yelped, suddenly appearing at Andromeda's side. "Annie, she didn't! It's not the same."

"No, Annie's right. I did as good as kill them," Bellatrix admitted. Andromeda glared at her, at her casual tone.

"No, you didn't Bella. You didn't!" Narcissa insisted.

"Why?" Andromeda snarled, feeling her back tighten, making her as near as possible to her sister's height.

"Did you want me to try and explain this to you again?" Bellatrix asked in boredom.

"How can you- how are you- It's wrong Bella! It's desperately wrong!" she yelped.

"You just don't understand," Bella said, her voice slightly scolding. She shook her head. "You're just too soft to get it. Maybe Rodolphus was right. You are a coward. You're afraid of change." Without thinking, Andromeda darted forward, pressing her sister into the wall, her wand to her throat.

"Annie!" Narcissa yelled.

"I'm not a coward and you know it. No one could be your sister and still be a coward," she growled. "You're mean and you're crazy and you're a murderer, cold-blooded murderer. I can't stand you!" she yelped, digging her wand in further to her sister's neck.

"You wouldn't do anything to me. You wouldn't hurt your sister," Bellatrix answered, her eyes narrowed and her voice sounding strange with a wand pressed to her air way.

"That's what I thought too," Andromeda replied darkly and was rewarded with a brief flash of fear in Bellatrix's eyes.

"That was an accident."

"Doesn't mean it didn't happen. I have the scar to prove it."

"What are you talking about?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

"You still won't do it," Bellatrix said, the fear fading from her eyes as she looked at Andromeda. "You wouldn't hurt someone you loved. You love me, Annie. You can say whatever you like about me but you still love me. You know you do."

"N-not anymore," she said, her stomach beginning to twist. "I hate you Bella. I hate you for what you've done." Bellatrix's eyes widened and she looked nearer to tears than Andromeda had seen her in ages.

"Annie, you don't mean that! She doesn't mean it Bella."

"I do too," Andromeda replied stubbornly. Her eyes caught on Bellatrix's. "I do."

"You still wouldn't," Bellatrix said, glancing down at the wand on her throat, not in fear but seeming disheartened.

"You don't know that," Andromeda retorted though her arm was slackening. Slowly, Bellatrix reached up her hand and grabbed Andromeda's wrist as if to move it. Andromeda snapped, furling back into Narcissa. "Don't touch me!"

"Oaof," Narcissa grunted as she tumbled to the ground.

"Annie," Bellatrix pleaded. Andromeda kept backing up as Narcissa scooted out of the way, not bothering or perhaps maybe not thinking to get to her feet.

"No."

"Andromeda, please."

"No." She was nearly at the door now.

"Say you didn't mean it! Say it!" Bellatrix yelled hurrying across the room and slamming the door closed. Her arms fell on either side of Andromeda's shoulders, one hand leaning against the door and the other against the wall, Andromeda in between. Narcissa shuffled to her feet, standing a few feet behind them, her blue eyes wide as she watched.

"I don't know! I don't know, just leave me alone! Give me five minutes to think."

"Annie-"

"You too, Cissy!" Andromeda yelped at her as she ducked down to escape from between Bellatrix's arms and opened the door, hurrying into her room. She stared around for a moment before grabbing a robe from her wardrobe and flinging it on her bed as she pulled off her pajamas.

"What are you doing?" Narcissa asked, appearing in the doorway as Andromeda pulled on her robe and shoving half the contents of her desk top where her spending money was spread out in to her pocket.

"Going out," she growled.

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"I don't know."

"Who are you going to see?"

"I don't know. Merlin, Cissy, I don't know. Why do you think I know anything, anything at all?" she asked, brushing past her sister. She saw a look of pain come across her little sister's face and a flash of last night's conversation came into her head. "I'll come back," she added un-heartedly.

"Promise me," Narcissa demanded.

"I promise."

"You promise to come back?"

"I promise," Andromeda replied in annoyance as she hurried down the stairs.

"Swear it!"

"Cissy, I'll come back, just leave me be!" Andromeda yelled at her as she opened the door into the white world outside. The cold air hit her hard as the wind swirled around her, catching her hair and twisting its wild locks around her face as she slammed the door behind her.

Her feet led her along the road, the growing storm making her nearly imperceptible to passersby. Her head was tossing back and forth. She remembered Rodolphus a week ago, her encounter with Ted, her uncle's memories, Narcissa's confession, and her fight with Bellatrix. "I just want to make sure you're alright." "Promise not to hurt her again." "Do you promise to always love me?" "You love me Annie." She bit her lip, trying hard not to cry. Her mind felt pulled and stretched.

"You don't want to have to make that choice Annie. You don't want to be given an ultimatum, especially not now. Things are dangerous right now." Andromeda reached into her pocket with her left hand as she stuck out her right hand to call the Knight Bus. Perhaps she would go to Diagon Alley. At least there she could be warm in her solitude. Or somewhere. There had to be somewhere she could go. Hogsmeade maybe. She could go back to school early. Her hand fell on a crinkled piece of paper. "The choice is yours," she remembered her uncle telling her as the Knight Bus lurched to a stop in front of her. She looked up the conductor.

"Hullo there. Where you headed?"

"I don't have a clue. But I know where you can take me," she told him, stepping on to the bus, the piece of paper held tightly in her hand.

**Sorry that this chapter is kind of a hodgepodge of different things. Anyway, next chapter is the last one in part two (so on to the third part). Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!**


	27. Part 2: Chapter 10

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Two: Just Because Everything's Changing _

_January 1970_

The Knight Bus lurched to a stop about a block from Andromeda's real destination. She had told them to drop her off there, not wanting them to see where she was really going, just in case. Her body began to shiver as she stepped outside into the storm, heading toward the house, just an address she had heard before. There was a sidewalk, buried in the snow, only faintly showing because the snow was smoother over the walkway than the grass. It led up to a white, two story house with light streaming from the front windows. Andromeda walked up and rang the bell, listening to the noises of people inside. She saw the knob twist as the door began to open. "Who could that be in this storm?" a woman's voice asked from a ways away. A tall young woman appeared at the door and looked at Andromeda.

"I don't think I could tell you mum," she replied as Andromeda looked past her and saw Ted, who had frozen in his path at the foot of a set of stairs and was staring over at Andromeda. Another woman appeared at the door, her eyes following the trail from Ted to Andromeda and she grinned.

"You're right Kitty. She is pretty," she laughed.

"That's who's here?" Kitty squealed. "See, I told you Marianne!"

"What are you doing here?" Ted asked her, finally walking over, closer to his sisters.

"Ted, have you learned nothing from us?" Marianne asked in exasperation.

"I don't know," Andromeda answered him, not even paying total attention to Marianne.

"Can you come inside? It's freezing," he told her as Kitty appeared at the second woman's side.

"Hi Andromeda. You have a cool name, did you know that? Like the Greek myth."

"Did you read the paper?" Andromeda asked him, her eyes still locked on Ted's. "I mean I- I haven't but I'm assuming-"

"Yes, this morning. Did your sister have-" Andromeda nodded. "Dromeda, come inside," he said as the young woman who'd opened the door slid to get out of the way. Andromeda didn't move. Ted sighed and moved forward, pulling her into the house, the snow in her wild hair. His hand felt like it was burning against her cold skin and she gently tugged it away as he gave the door a light kick and it closed. "Jeez, you are freezing. How long have you been outside?"

"I don't know." She could now see and be seen around the ledge next to the door where a coat closet was located. The living room was a wide area to her right and the stairs were right in front of her. The room seemed crowded with people to Andromeda's flustered mind and many of them were staring at her.

"Who's that Uncle Ted?" a little boy spoke up, looking up from where he was playing on the ground with two men, a tall one with blonde hair and a brown haired man with another boy in his lap.

"A friend of mine, Cal," Ted answered. "Her name's Andromeda."

"Really is kind of a strange name," the woman who had opened the door said quietly.

"Lisa!" an older woman, Ted's mother Andromeda presumed, scolded.

"It is rather a mouthful, Mum. Do you have a nickname?" Marianne asked. Ted gently took her hand in his and tugged her towards the stairs, casting a look back at his mother.

"Come on. Let's go talk," he said quietly. She began to follow him, heading up the stairs into a narrow hallway with doors along the sides.

"Door open, Ted!" someone called up the stairs. Ted rolled his eyes.

"Yes Mum." He managed a smile in Andromeda's direction as he walked along the hall to the last room on the right and opened the door. "Sorry, it's a bit crowded right now. It was originally Richard's and mine but since he's here, Megan and Mily, his wife and daughter, are staying in here too." Andromeda nodded as she looked around. There were two permanent beds on the left and right walls. A playpen was sitting at the end of the bed on the right and a large bag of clothes was spilling out on to the floor. Pip was sitting on the windowsill in the middle of the room, over the desk. When Andromeda entered she flew down and crashed on Andromeda's shoulder.

"She's rather pent up now. She can't go outside because of the storm but she's still trying to burn up all those owl treats," Ted said cautiously. Andromeda absently stroked the owl's head. Ted sighed, looking at her distant stare at the clothes on the floor. "Dromeda, what's going on?"

She looked up and shook her head. "I don't know."

"You probably have a better idea than I do," he told her.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I should be doing. I don't know what's wrong, what's right, what's up, what's down. I don't know. I plain out don't know." Ted stared at her in confusion. "I don't know what I'm supposed to love or hate anymore but I know that I do love you. I love Narcissa, I love Francis, I love my cousins, I even love Bella even if I don't feel it all the time." She paused, still stroking Pip's head. "But I shouldn't." Ted walked over to the bed on the left and sat down, tugging on her waist to pull her into his lap. Pip flew away as soon as Andromeda's fingers left her head.

"You shouldn't love Bella?"

"I shouldn't love both you and Bella. I should choose." She hung her head and took a deep breath, biting her lip. Ted began to stroke her hair.

"No one said you have to choose now," he said, a hint of pleading in his voice.

"Uncle Alphard said I ought to choose soon," she replied, deciding to leave his lap and lay down on his bed on her back, staring at the ceiling. Ted moved and lay down next to her, closest to the wall. "You have stars on your ceiling," Andromeda commented.

"Yeah, I painted them on there the summer before my second year. I was fascinated by Astronomy my first year." Andromeda snuggled close to him, both to keep away from falling off the edge of the bed and to get warm. She was now realizing that she was cold as prickles in her skin told her that she was beginning to thaw out. He had his hands behind his head and she pillowed her head on his upper arm, resting her left arm on her stomach. "You're freezing, do you know that?"

"Yes."

"Your uncle knows?"

"Yes."

"Will he tell?"

"No. Not when he's done the same thing."

"What?" Ted asked, startled. Andromeda rolled over on her side so she could see his face.

"He was in love with a girl named Aimee. She was a muggle-born."

"Yeah?"

"They broke up."

"Obviously or you would have known before now."

"My aunt hurt her. They gave my uncle the choice. He could stay with her and they would both be hurt or he could leave her and they would leave her alone and he could still be part of the family." Andromeda bit her lip and sat up, bending her knees up towards her chest. Ted sat up too, folding his legs into a pretzel as he faced her. "He said if I left you now, they wouldn't know. You wouldn't be hurt. I wouldn't be hurt. I would get to stay involved with the family, not just a removed part of it like he is. If I stay with you then every second is another chance they'll find out. That you'll be hurt and I'll be ruined."

"And?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"Are you trying to get me to break up with you again?" he asked.

"I don't know." She spread her legs out and her feet bumped against Ted's knees.

"What do you want?" he asked her.

"I don't know."

"You're a Slytherin, the house known for its ambition. That shouldn't be such a hard question," he said with a smile.

"For having ambition not knowing what their ambition is," she corrected, managing to smile at him.

"What do you want?" he asked again more gently. She didn't answer and Ted scooted closer to her, sitting at her side, facing her. Her eyes followed him and she leaned forward and to try to kiss him, but he pulled back, putting his hands out behind him and leaning back to avoid her. "No. I'm not playing that game right now, Dromeda. You want to be serious. Let's be serious."

"I don't want to be serious!"

"You can't kiss the world away."

"I know that!"

"You don't act like it sometimes." She glared at him and curled up again. "I'm sorry."

"I don't act like that."

"I'm not sorry I said it. I'm sorry it offended you so much." Andromeda eyed him cautiously.

"I don't act like her."

"Who?"

"Bella."

"What?"

"Bella, that's Bella's solution. That's why Cissy thought she was pregnant. And I don't do that. I don't. I don't avoid things with sex. I've never even had sex because _someone_ rejected me!"

"Because you were acting like this!"

"Like what? And you said your mother would know."

"Well, she would but- I was looking for an excuse. When you don't want to talk about something you try to- try to distract me and just so you know, it is really, really hard not to let it work sometimes," he told her, sitting back up and shoving his fingers through his hair."

"I want to talk about it otherwise I wouldn't have come here," Andromeda muttered.

"I thought you didn't know why you came here."

"I didn't." He looked at her and sighed.

"Narcissa thought she was pregnant?"

Andromeda nodded. "She thought she might be and I don't- I don't want to be like that."

"Pregnant? Well, unless you've got another secret boyfriend then-"

"Desperate for someone to love me. Desperate enough to almost want a baby at not quite sixteen."

"Well, you're seventeen so-"

"I don't want to be desperate for someone to hold on to," she corrected, slightly annoyed with his comments. He stopped smirking and his face became more serious, "and yet, I don't want to let go of what I have now. But I'd have to anyway, wouldn't I? If I don't let go now, then they're going to make me be with him. And he doesn't want me, not really but he'd try and make me like her. He wants her. And I can't do that." Ted gave her a bewildered look.

"Rodolphus," she replied. "He doesn't want me anymore, he wants Bella. And I'm scared of him. I'm scared- I'm scared I'm going to get hurt, that he'll hurt me if I'm with him. And I thought I didn't have a choice. I always thought I didn't have a choice. That this would end and I'd stop liking you, stop _loving _you and then I'd move on with my life. But what if this doesn't end? What if I keep on loving you even after your gone? What if I'm trapped like Uncle Alphard, watching everyone else grow up and yet never- not being able to-"

"If they catch us you mean?"

"Even if they don't," she said softly. "My mother, she hardly talks. I found her O.W.L.'s scores once when I was looking for something to put in my Charms essay and she got really high scores but she never got to become anything. She could have been something, done something, but she never did. My uncle, he's heartbroken permanently, working in a school that focuses on Dark Magic despite the fact that he's one of the least dark among us. My aunt Walburga is practically crazy with keeping the line pure but that's all she has. And I don't- I don't-"

Ted leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You don't want to be Bellatrix and you don't want to be Narcissa. Frankly you don't want to be like anyone in your family." Slowly she nodded. "But the problem is that you are."

"Excuse me?"

Ted stretched out on his bed, looking up at the ceiling again. "You say your mother got really high scores on her tests, do I need to mention your scores? You talk about Narcissa needing someone to love, and you felt like you needed someone to love after Bellatrix started to go with that Voldemort guy so you found Francis."

"That's not the same."

"You found someone who needed you, someone you could protect. Admittedly, it's not as drastic as a baby but it's got some of the same emotions, just toned down a few notches. We've already talked about Bellatrix. Do you need me to go on?"

"No not really," Andromeda sighed, laying down and settling on her side. "I just don't want to be like them. It would make things so much easier."

"Would make what easier?"

"Deciding."

"Deciding what?" he sighed, rolling onto his side to face her.

She took a deep breath, her thoughts finally falling into order. "To leave." He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her. "I can't- I can't do it Ted. I can't stay with them, not forever. I can't be who I'm supposed to be. The only thing is that I don't know- I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't know when I'm going to leave but if I stay with you then they'll say I left for you. And I'm not leaving for you Ted. I love you. I figured out I have to leave in large part because of what I've learned being with you." Ted began to brush at her hair with his fingers. "But I'm leaving for me, not for you. And- and I don't want you to get hurt if-"

"I get it. Dromeda, I've always gotten it. I'm not stupid," he told her, pulling his hand back and settling back down. Andromeda rolled over and spooned her body against him, feeling his arm go around her waist, pulling her tight. "Your sister is dangerous. Merlin, I think sometimes I get it better than you. She was in my year. I saw her those first two years before you came to Hogwarts. She was terrible; and that was when she was only eleven and twelve. You don't even know. You calmed her, at least for a time. But I don't think you can keep her down anymore."

"I lied to her though. I don't hate her. I'll always love her."

"I know."

"And I don't know if I'll always love you."

"I know you don't know. But I'm sticking around."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

It was pitch black outside and freezing cold when Andromeda walked up the steps to her house and let herself inside the door. Inside the house was dark as well and she walked up the stairs as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake anyone. She entered her room to find Narcissa sitting on her bed. "You were gone all day."

"I needed to cool off."

"I know," she replied calmly, her blue eyes staring piercingly at Andromeda. "She's really upset." Andromeda looked away. "You didn't mean it did you?"

"No."

"I figured," she said harshly as she got up from the bed and headed for the door in a huff. Andromeda blinked in confusion and then grabbed her arm.

"What is it you think I didn't mean?"

"Your promise," Narcissa said. "You promised to come back."

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about what I said to Bella. And besides, I did come back."

"But you won't keep it. You won't always come back. Your promise is as good as broken. Both of them. You won't love me always. You won't! You lied!"

"I did not!"

"You won't love me like you do now ten years from now. I'm going to be like them, more like them than you. You've always been closer to Bella than to me. And if that can break so can this."

"Cissy, it didn't break it just- just bent."

Narcissa gave her a sad smile and reached into her pocket, pulling out a packet of letters, Ted's letters. She reached into another pocket and pulled out a muggle book Andromeda had borrowed from Francis over the break. She put both objects into Andromeda's hands. "In your bottom desk drawer there's an empty application to be a healer at St. Mungo's."

"I was just looking at it."

Narcissa shook her head. "You love them. Love Francis. Love muggle books, possibly muggles as much as you do wizards or at least close. You're in love with him, with Ted. Tell me honestly they're not going to win. Tell me honestly that someone you're in love with, that your dream you've had since you were twelve, that getting to keep learning which, Merlin, I don't understand but you love, tell me that those things are going to lose to a family that's tearing apart at the seams for some fanatical nut who calls himself Lord Voldemort." Andromeda didn't say anything but stared at her little sister uncomfortably. "I thought so. Just say good-bye before you leave. I won't tell. The sooner they find out, the sooner you'll be gone. And I want you here as long as possible. So just- just don't forget to say good-bye." She turned and was opening the door when Andromeda caught her shoulder gently.

"You don't have to stay. You could come with. We could get away. Cissy, it's not like they've told us. They're nice. I spent the day with them, with his family. They're human, just like us. They're exactly the same. And you don't even have to be with them just- just-"

"No. This is my family."

"Cissy-"

"I can either lose you or lose all of them. No one on that side would love me because I don't love them. They'll love you, once they know you." Narcissa sighed. "Why is it that I'm the one who wants to be loved but you're the one who's so lovable to people? I bet you didn't even try to make him love you. You never really tried to make Francis care but she does. People see you. Dammit, Annie, they _see_ you. They don't see me!"

"They see you! Merlin Narcissa, half of Slytherin house looks up and stares when you walk into the common room."

"Because I try! Because I want them to love me and I act the part they want to see so naturally they look. It's not like that with you! People see you as who you are. They like you as who you are."

"They would see you too if you'd let them. Aias did."

"Aias will leave eventually. He'll see what I think, what I believe. I don't think they're like us Annie, whatever you say. I think they are scum and he wouldn't say such a thing about his mother. And I'm too scared of what will happen to me if I leave. You said there wasn't a part to be played anymore? There still is. There's my part. All I am is a part in a play. And you, you've never been a part. I get that now. I thought you were part of the background, innocent and naïve, hanging behind, but you're not. I'll I've seen is a reflection of you in the mirror. There's a whole world of yours I can't see. So good luck. Be happy. Live well. Be with him, don't be with him. Be a healer, don't be a healer. Whatever. I know you'll leave. You won't stick around with the way things are headed. Just say good-bye. That's all I'm asking. It's not too much to ask is it?" she asked before leaving through the door, leaving Annie, frozen in her room. Slowly the letters and the book dropped from her hands to the ground. Just a little over two hours ago, the New Year had passed. It was a new year, a new decade, all new. And she had spent it occasionally glancing out the window at the raging blizzard, with Ted's arm around her, as she sat in his parents' living room, sitting in the midst of people who had never and would never cast a spell in their life. And she had been happier than she had with her own family since her sister had come back crying because she had taken a muggle's life.

**I'm sorry for the sappiness. Hope you can forgive me.**

**Anyway, end of part two and all that.**


	28. Part 3: Chapter 1

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_April 1970_

"No, I don't see it."

"You have to!"

"You're crazy."

"I have a sixth sense about these things."

"You're not quite thirteen. How could you have a sixth sense about 'these things'?"

"I did with you and Ted."

"That's different," Andromeda told her, shifting her backpack on her shoulder as she looked back at Francis. The younger girl smiled.

"I'm telling you, I saw something going on between the new caretaker and Madam Pince."

"He asked her where in the library a student had spilled the pumpkin juice they smuggled in."

"There's something there," Francis insisted. Andromeda shook her head and smiled. "One of these days you'll see it."

"I'm sure," Andromeda replied with a grin, unconvinced. "Until that day, I will preserve my sanity of mind by not thinking that Argus Fitch has anything for," her ears caught a sound and she spoke more slowly, her enthusiasm not quite in it, "the librarian. Francis, do you hear something?"

Slowly Francis nodded and the pair of them began walking quickly down the hallway towards the noise of boys yelling. Andromeda began to pick up speed as she heard the dull, ringing thud of something hitting metal and more yelling. Francis fell behind her, still hurrying to keep up as Andromeda turned the corner and began to start making out some of the words they were saying.

"-just the same as her-"

"-go away! I did nothing-"

"-traitor, like the rest of-"

She heard a scream as she darted around the doorway into one of the rooms and saw a trio of boys in the room standing there. One of them was William Yaxley, her fellow sixth year Slytherin prefect and another was Aias Burke, trembling, a tear in his robes near his right shoulder where he was bleeding. He was leaning against a desk, gingerly putting weight on his left leg as he struggled to hold up his wand with his left hand. The other boy, Andromeda recognized as another Slytherin, she guessed a fourth or fifth year but she wasn't entirely sure what his name was. "What is going on here?" she yelled, to no avail. Aias barely looked at her before throwing a spell at the unknown boy who quickly tried to defend himself.

"Just teaching a traitor a lesson," Yaxley growled, pointing his wand at Aias as he tried to bypass the counter curse from the younger boy and tripped, a grimace of pain crossing his face as he landed on his sore leg. Andromeda rushed forward and grabbed Yaxley's arm, pointing it towards the ceiling as he said the spell and flinched as bit of the ceiling came floating down on them.

"You are a prefect! Act like it! You can't duel in the hallways-"

"We're in a classroom, not the hallway," he retorted, tugging his arm away.

"-and especially not two on one!" she continued as if he hadn't tried to interrupt her, grabbing his wrist and twisting it in another direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Francis come into the room and then dash out again.

"Let go!" Yaxley demanded. Andromeda heard Aias scream behind her and she whipped around, still hanging on to Yaxley's wrist. The boy she didn't know was shivering a little as Aias's cut on his arm began to bleed all the more profusely. He was fast losing blood and Andromeda dropped Yaxley's wrist and as she pulled out her own wand.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, his wand jumping out of his hand and into hers as she skidded to the ground, collecting Aias's dropped wand in her hand. He was now holding his left hand over his right arm as involuntary tears began running down his face. "Give me yours now or I'll take it!" she ordered the other boy. "You have detention as it is and I won't hesitate to issue more."

"I-I-"

"Expellarmus!" she shouted, not feeling up to arguing with him. His wand came bounding into her hand and she tucked them between her knees while she knelt down next to Aias. "Move your hand!" He looked at her nervously.

"Andromeda he's a traitor!" Yaxley tried to persuade her.

"He's another student and you're a prefect," she yelped back with a glare. "What spell did you use on him?" she demanded of the other boy.

"I- I was just trying it," he murmured. I didn't know it would do that! I didn't want to- want to-" suddenly he fainted.

"What did you teach him?"

"Why do you assume it was me?"

"Because both of us are being asses. Now tell me!"

"I didn't teach it to him!" Andromeda bit her lip as she noticed that Aias had finally moved his hand although he was beginning to look a bit droopy and out of sorts. She used her wand to tightly bind the cut on his arm in a bandage before moving on to his leg. It looked like an improperly placed Jelly-Legs Jinx; only one of his legs was fluid like. But there was also a disturbing red circle right in the center of his shin and a similar one in a set of brass scales that was lying on the ground that led her to believe it was something more sinister.

"Come on, we need to get you to the hospital wing now. You need a blood replenishing potion I'm guessing. And you," she said darkly to Yaxley as she stood up, pulling Aias's left arm gently to help him up, "I'm going to-"

"Excellent suggestion Ms. Black. Ms. Longbottom, will you take Mr. Burke to the hospital wing?" came a voice and Andromeda looked at the door where Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had appeared along with Francis. The girl nodded and hurried over towards Aias to help him. William's face was covered with a mixed look of fear and shock. The unknown boy was beginning to wake up and his look of terror at seeing Dumbledore and McGonagall spoke plainly of guilt. Andromeda saw Dumbledore's eyes look over him before looking back over her as he and McGonagall stepped out of the way to let Francis and Aias pass, McGonagall's eyes following them carefully for a moment before snapping back to the two boys and Andromeda. "Ms. Black if you would be so kind as to come with me. I'm sure you can deal with these two boys Minerva," he said, looking at the younger professor. His eyes flitted over the two boys with a glimpse of sadness in his eyes before turning back to Andromeda.

"Of course," Professor McGonagall agreed easily. The unknown boy seemed more scared and Yaxley had a look of annoyance. Andromeda stayed where she was watching them.

"Ms. Black?" Dumbledore questioned and she jumped to attention, turning to Professor McGonagall.

"Here," she said quietly, shoving the three wands into her hand.

"Thank you," she replied curtly as she walked towards Yaxley. Andromeda finally followed Professor Dumbledore out the door as her eyes stayed on the two boys. She walked cautiously after the headmaster in the hall for a while, very aware that he wasn't saying anything. He turned and gave her a brief smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "No need to be nervous. I only wish to get your understanding of the matter before the boys are questioned."

"I don't know much sir," she told him honestly. "I heard them yelling and I went to go see what was the matter."

"You hadn't noticed anything in the common room between any of them?"

"No, I don't spend too much time in the common room lately."

"Oh?"

"I have exams coming up."

"Ah, they are rather a nuisance aren't they?" he asked as they came to a gargoyle at the end of an otherwise empty hallway. "Ice Mice." Andromeda blinked at him for a moment before she noticed that the gargoyle had sprung back to reveal a revolving staircase. "I forget. You have never had reason to see my office before have you? It was always your sister who found herself in my office." Andromeda didn't say anything, merely followed as he stepped on to the stairs. "Might I inquire as to your sister's health?"

"She was fine when I last saw her," Andromeda replied, looking at the ground, aware that Dumbledore's eyes were pinned on her.

"You haven't had a letter from her recently? You always seemed quite close at Hogwarts."

"She writes but she never makes any mention of her health."

"There is no hint by her activities?" Andromeda looked up at him suspiciously as they reached the top of the stairs.

"She mentions very little of her activities in her letters."

"They must not be very long letters then."

"No, I'm afraid not. She's never been much of a letter writer."

"Ah, that is too bad. Now, back to the matter the hand. Where were you when you heard them yelling?" he asked, beginning to question her on what had happened with Aias Burke.

Later that night, Andromeda headed back down to the common room to find William Yaxley sitting on the couch, complaining with Lucius Malfoy, and she began to charge over to ask him what he had thought he was doing when Narcissa grabbed her arm sharply by the elbow and began tugging her out of the common room. Andromeda fought her for a moment before deciding it would be easier to just follow. Narcissa's grip on her elbow loosened as she led the way into an empty dungeon classroom. "You can't have him just because you're bored," she said stubbornly as soon as she had checked no one was there.

"Excuse me?"

"Aias. Just because I don't- I can't be- it doesn't mean that you can have him."

"Cissy why would you think I was?" Andromeda asked harshly.

"That's what everyone's saying."

"Then everyone is wrong."

"Then why did you defend him?"

"I didn't defend him; I stopped two people from attacking one person in their own house!" Andromeda replied. "I don't even know what was going on I just-"

"That's not what everyone's saying," Narcissa told her more softly as she leaned against one of the tables. Andromeda gave her a sad sort of smile.

"I promise I have no interest in Aias, okay? I just don't like seeing people get hurt. You know that Cissy." Slowly she nodded.

"You can't have him though. Even if I'm- if we're not-"

"Have you talked to him at all since you two-"

"No," she replied sharply. "It was supposed to help. Andromeda, it hurts but I can't- It's good that it's over. No one likes him anymore."

"What did he do?"

"I haven't been paying attention."

"_You_ haven't been paying attention?" Andromeda asked in disbelief.

Narcissa shook her head. "It hurts too much. I didn't want to listen, didn't want to hear. It's bad enough seeing him." She looked down at her feet. "I don't want to hear about him more than I have to." Andromeda moved forward to touch her shoulder but she jerked it back and her head snapped up to look at Andromeda's eyes. "You didn't, did you? You don't like him?"

"I assure you, I only love Ted." Narcissa made a face of disgust.

"And he's the one you slept with before you came back wearing his robes. I suppose that's further proof sex doesn't help you get over someone, isn't it?" she asked harshly.

Andromeda pulled herself up on one of the desks across the aisle in the tables so that she was facing Narcissa. "I never slept with him."

"Oh, Andromeda, I'm not naïve," Narcissa said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I didn't. I tried to but he wouldn't let me." Narcissa snorted.

"Honestly, I couldn't think less of your romantic decisions. I'm hardly going to find it less appalling if you didn't sleep with him. Why bother trying to fool me into thinking something we both know isn't true?"

"Narcissa, I didn't sleep with him," Andromeda replied firmly. "Believe it or not, it's true. The robe thing was just a mix up which I have extreme doubt you want me to explain. I have not slept with him yet."

"Yet?" Andromeda raised her eyebrows at her sister. "So then you're not bored with him?"

Andromeda laughed. "No, I'm not bored with him."

"And you haven't moved on to Aias?"

"I don't even know anything more than his name and what you've told me."

"And what I've told you isn't likeable, especially to- to someone like you?"

"Someone who isn't repulsed by the idea of sleeping with a muggle-born is that what you mean?" Andromeda asked coolly. Narcissa gave a shiver to which Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Yes, he sounds likeable enough but I love Ted. I have no romantic interest in Aias. I was just stopping a fight." She looked over at Narcissa to see her sister looking down at the ground again. Andromeda slid off the desk and walked over to her sister, lightly laying her hand on her shoulder. Narcissa looked up, her blue eyes studying Andromeda's dark gray ones. "I will never start any sort of romantic relationship with Aias Burke, okay?"

"It shouldn't matter," Narcissa said darkly. "You're going to leave and I'm going to marry Lucius."

"It shouldn't, but it does," Andromeda shrugged. "You have my word."

"Because your word is good for so much."

"Cissy, do you honestly believe I would?" Andromeda asked in exasperation. Narcissa paused and then shook her head. "Good girl."

"I'm not a dog."

"No, then I would have given you a biscuit," Andromeda told her with a smile. Narcissa rolled her eyes and stepped away from the table.

"Let's go back."

"Okay," Andromeda agreed, following her sister towards the door. Suddenly Narcissa paused and then slowly turned around.

"You really haven't slept with him?"

"No," Andromeda told her, keeping on walking.

"What's wrong with him?" Andromeda stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at her sister who had now turned back towards the door.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean could he not-"

"Cissy!"

"Well?"

"He just didn't want to right then, are you happy?" Narcissa snorted.

"I always knew mud-bloods were fools. What guy would refuse a chance with a Black?"

"A good one," Andromeda defended. "The one time it even really came up I was using it as a-"

"You were using it? So you were coming on to him and he refused you? There must me something wrong with him," Narcissa smirked. Andromeda rolled her eyes and began heading toward the door. "I guess I ought to be thankful he couldn't otherwise I'd have to look at you with all the more disgust," Narcissa said, chasing after Andromeda. She turned around on her sister suddenly in the hallway.

"I assure you it wasn't a matter of could, it was a matter of would and should. If you'd like, I can tell you what we were doing, in detail before he stopped me that night." Narcissa glared at her. "No? Well, at least I offered." Andromeda was still laughing at her sister's face when she re-entered the common room. Thankfully, she had cooled off some and found it easier to just glare over at Yaxley before heading upstairs to grab the book she was reading for fun and curl up in a chair by the fire to read. It wasn't long before Francis was settled in next to her.

"That took you a while. I thought you were just taking him to the hospital wing."

"I ran into Frank on the way back."

"Oh," Andromeda said, looking up at her friend.

"We didn't fight," Francis said, almost in surprise herself. "He said he'd heard there was a fight and I was somehow involved because one of his friends was talking to Professor McGonagall when I found her and Professor Dumbledore in her office to help you. He- he asked if I was alright.

"Did he?"

"Yeah. I told him what happened and- and then I came to the common room," Francis told her. "But we didn't fight."

"You didn't fight." She shook her head and smiled. Andromeda paused a moment before asking, "Do you know what Aias and Yaxley were fighting about?"

"His mother," Francis answered quietly. "She's a muggle-born; you know that. And he wouldn't say anything against her. He hasn't."

"Oh," Andromeda nodded carefully. They had never cared much before, after he had won them over in his first couple of years. But things were different. She watched as a small group of girls began to read a copy of the Daily Prophet someone had left out. She had read it earlier and was as aware as Dumbledore of her sister's probably activities. Things were fast becoming very different.

**Sorry for the jump in the time (this is April last one was January). I wrote a chapter taking place in the middle but it was short. Mostly just a conversation between Francis and Andromeda and it didn't accomplish much. There is probably going to be more time jumping in part three because a lot of the decisions have already been made (Andromeda leaving, Narcissa staying, Bellatrix being, erm, herself, etc) they just need their time to come out into the open and in some cases be explosiveish. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter!**


	29. Part 3: Chapter 2

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_May 1970_

"Is it moonstone or monkshood that's used for joint pain?" Andromeda asked flipping desperately through her copy of Advanced Potion making.

"You're stressing about exams."

"But I need to know."

"You don't need to know now. You thought you had some time to take a break from studying."

"I just need to-" Ted leaned forward and began to kiss her. She smiled into his lips for a moment before suddenly pulling away and turning back to her book. "Seriously, I need to find out Ted!" He sighed, shoving his fingers into his golden hair as Andromeda began pouring through her book again.

"You are proving difficult to distract today."

"This is important!"

"You're freaking out."

"But it's…" Ted leaned forward again. She stopped as his lips touched hers. They were sitting out on the edge of the forest outside of Hogsmeade again. For a moment she was happy, her want to kiss Ted, something they couldn't do in letters, however many they sent, overcoming her frantic need to study. Then she began to pull back again.

"Which is it?" she asked quietly.

"You need to relax," he replied before kissing her again. She kissed him back, feeling herself slowly leaning back more and more as the distance between her body and Ted's grew smaller. Suddenly Andromeda sprung up, her forehead clunking against Ted's nose. Her hand shot to her forehead as he wiped at his nose with the back of his hand, looking at it to see if there was blood.

"I'm so stupid! Of course it's monkshood!"

"Yeah stupid, that's the word I was looking for," Ted told her his eyes twinkling slightly now that he was sure his nose was okay.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's all right. No blood," he told her. "But you have to have some amount of stupidity if you sneak out of school to do schoolwork."

"I came to see you! And it's not like it's homework, per say; I'm revising."

"You're panicking," he told her sitting casually on the grass, one knee bent up with his arm on it. His nose was a bit red. Andromeda smiled to herself. "What?"

"You look cute," she murmured, looking down. Ted rolled his eyes.

"You look quite cute yourself. I just wish you'd quit worrying about exams. You'll do fine. You always have from what you've told me."

"I want to be prepared," she told him, scooting closer. He lay down on the ground and she rested her head on his stomach. "I never thought it would be this important before."

"It's not that important, not compared to O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s," Ted reminded her.

"Maybe not to you. I don't know. I never thought I'd actually have a real need for good scores. I just got them."

"You've worked for them before."

"Of course. But it was never important for me to get good grades. Just respected, a nice idea, a good idea."

"I seem to remember you were about as panicked last year too." Andromeda sighed and sat up again, punching him lightly in the arm as she moved. "Ouch, my dignity!"

"You deserve it."

"What did I do?"

"I'll think of something later," she informed him snobbishly as she picked up her book again and began flipping through it. "Besides, I remember someone dreading prefect duty because he had N.E.W.T.'s and spent the time hissing incantations under his breath." Ted sat up and settled himself next to her, reading over her shoulder.

"A lot of people said I was doing that but I never noticed," Ted replied thoughtfully.

"Now who's the one who gets stressed over exams?"

"What are you looking up now?"

"The difference between aconite and wolfsbane."

"There is none."

"Are you sure?"

"Who's the herbologist here? Yes, they're the same plant."

"Well I know _that_. I mean, the difference between naming. When do you call it aconite and when do you call it wolfsbane?"

"Don't forget monkshood."

"Well obviously," Andromeda sighed.

"I'm sorry but nothing is obvious about your study habits, did you know that?"

"It's obvious to me," she pleaded, looking up at him. "Help me will you? I know I'm going to fail Herbology and then everyone will make fun of me because see, my boyfriend, he works with plants all day and I should know _something_ about them." She tried to make her best puppy eyes possible, and Ted just laughed.

"You do know you have no logic don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"One," he said kissing her forehead, "you are not going to fail your Herbology exam. And two," he said, kissing near her ear, "no one would laugh at you if you did because they don't know I'm your boyfriend."

"Right, that," Andromeda agreed, twisting a little to meet his eyes again. She smiled lightly and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. "I suppose I don't have very much of that logic thing," she breathed, sitting with her legs folded towards her side. Ted put his arms around her, raising to kneeling on his knees, leaning down to kiss her.

"No, hardly any," he consented pulling his lips away for a moment. Ted put one of his arms down on the ground to keep his balance as Andromeda kept on leaning back, one of her hands settled next to his, the other in his hair, gently pulling him down with her. She leaned her neck to break apart and touched her forehead to his.

"Good thing I have you to be logical for me."

"Very good," he consented as her back finally come in contact with the ground, both of Ted's arms keeping him up off the grass.

"Not that you're terribly logical all the time either," she managed to mutter.

Ted suddenly propped himself up more, "I resent that," he said quietly with a smile. Andromeda laughed as she sat up more, leaning towards him.

"You stopped."

"I thought you wanted to study," he smirked.

"There are more interesting things," she replied, raising one of her eyebrows. Ted reached forward and pushed a strand of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear, his face coming close to hers again and for a time she was once more lost. It was a surprise to her that she managed to hear the faint sound of coming voices. She pushed at Ted and jumped to her feet, hissing at him to hide. He gave her a startled, confused look but consented as her stomach sank. She was sure she heard voices coming towards them and she watched as Ted cast a disillusionment spell on himself and headed back towards the trees, away from where the noises were coming from. Andromeda's heart was thundering as she looked up and saw her sister standing there, her eyebrows raised along with both the Lestrange brothers. Andromeda's eyes looked between the three of them, becoming more and more aware of how she looked. She shrugged her shoulder to try and move the sleeve of her robe up again but the first few buttons were undone and her sleeve refused to move. There was grass in her hair; she could feel it scratching at her scalp now.

"Been having fun out here?" Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

"I fell asleep," Andromeda said coldly.

"You bother to skip out of school and you spend that time sleeping?" she questioned, the smile still on her face.

"I wanted to study alone but I fell asleep," Andromeda replied, her eyes following Rabastan as he walked to her left side. Rodolphus stayed by Bellatrix, his eyes flittering with dry amusement. "I needed a break from the castle."

"I'm sure."

Andromeda brushed through her hair and glared at her sister. "I'm not you Bella," she growled before moving to collect her books, hoping to walk away, dragging her sister and the Lestranges further away from where Ted was hiding. Or was he still hiding? Had he managed to slip far enough away that he could he apparate? She didn't really feel like sticking around either way. She began to walk back towards Hogsmeade. Bellatrix reached out and grabbed her arm, squeezing it tightly.

"Where you going little sister? I'd very much like to meet your lover. Where is he?"

"There's no one. I was revising and sleeping," Andromeda growled, pulling back as hard as she could. Her arm slipped out of Bellatrix's hand more easily that she had expected and she found that Rodolphus had come up at her back and quickly seized both her arms from behind.

"I see how it is now," he hissed in her ear. "It's alright. I understand you're a Black; you have needs and I'm not always around. But you won't let you're loyalty rest with him anymore, now will you? When I want you, you're mine, not his."

"Let go of me! I don't know what you're talking about!" Andromeda commanded, yanking hard against him but he held tight. She squirmed and tugged, trying to get free for just a moment. If she could, she would be able to apparate. Her test had taken place in April, and she had passed. Rodolphus laughed and shoved her suddenly, right into Rabastan's awaiting arms.

"Hello there pet," he said with a smile as she hurriedly stuffed her right hand into her pocket and grabbed her wand. With a pop and flash of light he was sent crashing backwards and Andromeda was about to apparate when Rodolphus grabbed her again.

"Now that wasn't very nice," he whispered, his arms around her waist pulling her close. She could feel his breath in her ear and it irritated her to no end. She could feel his body pressed up alongside her back as she struggled against him. "But maybe you don't understand. My brother and I have always gotten along well because we like to share."

"Get away from me!" Andromeda yelled, trying again to get free. Her hand gripped tightly to her wand but she couldn't tilt it back to attack Rodolphus without getting hurt herself. "Bella!" she hollered. "Bella you told him to leave me alone! You told him!"

"It's for the best Annie," Bellatrix told her.

"What kind of best? Bella, please!" she demanded, trying to kick at Rodolphus's shins, stomp on his feet, anything she could manage.

"I- you don't want me to defend you anymore. You've made that perfectly clear!"

"Bella!" she yelled as Rodolphus grabbed his wand.

"We'll be back in time for you to catch dinner," he assured her.

"Bella!" Thunk! She felt Rodophus's body stiffen and fall behind her and she went tumbling to the ground over his body. Quickly she dashed to her feet, snatching her books off the ground as she grabbed her wand to apparate.

"Who's there! Show yourself!" Rabastan called out. Andromeda left, appearing beside the Hogwarts gates panting. Her heart pounded out of control, jumping wildly when she heard someone apparate beside her. She took a deep breath when she realized it was Ted, looking more furious than she had ever seen him. He grabbed her elbow and opened the gates pulling her inside the grounds.

"Don't ever leave here again!"

"Excuse me?"

"He was going to- he would have- Dromeda!" Ted yelled, stamping his feet like an angry toddler. He swore and kicked the wall holding the gate in place. Andromeda stood where she was, her books pulled tight to her chest, her arms crossed over them. Ted turned to face her again. "He can't have you! He can't hurt you! I won't let him!"

"Obviously. You hit him with a spell."

"Your sister should have done something!"

"I'm a bit mystified by that myself. She doesn't act like herself around Rodolphus. She gives in to him when there are other people around. When they're alone she doesn't but when she knows other people are around-" Andromeda stopped and looked up at him. "You're jealous?"

"Jealous? No I'm not jealous!" Ted exclaimed, coming towards her again. He raised his arms as if to hold her but then seemed to think better of it and dropped his head, running his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I'm furious."

"I got that."

"He shouldn't do that to you."

"He's never actually done anything."

"He's tried!"

"This is only the second time."

"Why are you so calm about this?" he asked angrily, not angry at her, but in general enraged. Andromeda bit her lip while thinking, slowly bending down to place her books on the ground and then coming back up to meet Ted's eyes.

"I think because you're not."

"So you were before? You said this had happened before? When?"

"I told you. During the holidays."

"You only said he tried to kiss you and you didn't want to be kissed by him."

"That's the gist of it."

"That's not the gist of it! There's a huge- huge chunk you're leaving out! Were you just as calm then? How could you not be furious?"

"Well, Sirius and Regulus were there to be mad for me I guess. I never-"

"Why! Dromeda you should be mad!"

"Ted, seriously, calm down."

"I can't calm down! He tried to- Dromeda he would have raped you if he'd gotten the chance. You do realize that don't you?"

"He might not have intended to go that far."

"Dromeda!"

"Fine, he could have. I don't know his intentions."

"Then how can you be so calm?" Ted repeated in exasperation. "You, the girl who was panicking about exams, who worries constantly-"

"Not constantly."

"-who would undoubtedly scream, yell, and holler if anyone did the same thing to one of her friends or her sisters, why are you so calm?" Andromeda stared at him for a moment, biting her lip again then shook her head.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Andromeda shook her head again. "You should be. Do you know that?"

"I'm well aware."

"Why?"

"I was afraid when he had a hold of me."

"But you're not now."

"You're cooling down too."

"Dromeda-"

"Ted, I don't know. Does it matter?

"Yes, it does matter. It matters because what if I'm not around to protect you?"

"I hardly need your protection."

"Then how were you planning to get away?"

"I can apparate. As soon as I got free I would have-"

"What if you hadn't?"

"It didn't happen. Why panic about something that didn't happen?" Ted sighed.

"Someone's going to catch me if I stay on the grounds."

"If they haven't already somehow. I swear some of the teachers have eyes all around the castle."

"Security cameras," Ted mumbled.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"No tell me."

"Dromeda, I should go. I need to calm down more."

"You seem calmer."

"On the outside."

"Oh." Andromeda looked up at him. "I still want to know what security cameras are."

Ted managed a small smile. "It's a muggle thing."

"I still want to know."

"It wouldn't work at Hogwarts. I was joking."

"I still want to know. Talk to me Ted."

"I need to go. I need- I need to think."

"About what?"

"About all the reasons it would be bad if I set out to go kill Lestrange."

"Ah."

"Both of them."

"Could potentially land you in Azkaban."

"Possibly."

"Not to mention you might get hurt."

"It'd be worth it."

"But then I'd have no one to protect me," Andromeda said, making herself laugh. Ted raised his eyebrow at her.

"I'll write back to your letter from this morning tonight, okay?"

"You'd better explain security cameras then too."

"I could do that," he said with a smile, turning to go.

"Aren't you going to kiss me good-bye?"

"I didn't think you'd want me to, not after-"

"Ted, I'm fine."

"I find that strange."

"Ted," Andromeda pleaded faintly. "I got out okay so I'm fine," she assured him as she came close to him. He put his arms gently around her.

"Promise me you'll stay in the castle grounds?"

"Until school ends."

"I suppose that's as good as it gets," Ted sighed. Andromeda leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling back and looking into his eyes, studying them. She could still see them raging as he reached up a hand and began playing with the loose strands of her hair again. "I hate him, Dromeda."

"I know." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," he said quietly.

She smiled. "I love you too." He gave her a brief hug and headed for the gates, leaving her behind as he apparated right beyond the ward. Andromeda bent down to pick up her books before heading to the castle when she heard someone coming up behind her and turned around. Her eyes caught on two people, a round-faced girl and Francis's brother, Frank Longbottom.

"I told you she was different from her sister," Frank muttered.

"Well, I knew that," the girl sighed. Then she smiled and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Alice Hale. I met you at one of Slughorn's parties but you were rather disoriented. I don't know if you remember me." Cautiously Andromeda returned the handshake as she stood up, leaving her books on the ground again.

"You kept asking me if I was alright," Andromeda replied carefully.

"I suppose I did. You really did look awful. I'm not sure why you came. Then again, maybe you didn't intend to. Slughorn did kind of pull you into the party. He does that sometimes. Although I haven't seen you there again. Have you been avoiding them? Although sometimes I do to so maybe we're just missing each other. That's a definite-"

"Isn't he a muggle-born?" Frank interrupted, staring at Andromeda.

"Who?" Andromeda asked quickly as Alice quieted down.

"He is, isn't he? He was in Ravenclaw I think. And I'm almost positive he was a muggle-born."

"Almost positive. Well that shows how certain you are," Andromeda replied snidely.

"I'm sure he wasn't someone a Black would typically associate with."

"What do you want Frank?"

"Nothing. He doesn't want anything," Alice sighed. "He'll drop it and leave her alone," she said, glaring over at the boy. "It's none of his business and he would do well to remember it."

Frank rolled his eyes at her. "I still want to know."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"That's as good as a yes."

"And I'm sure your lack of surefire information and my lack of agreement will come in useful when you're telling people."

"Oh, he wouldn't tell anyone!" Alice protested.

"He wouldn't?" Andromeda asked.

"Yeah, he wouldn't?" Frank seconded. He received double glares from both Alice and Andromeda before Alice looked back at Andromeda.

"He wouldn't because that would get you in trouble and it would be just mean. I know my mother, well, she left and it wasn't- it wasn't too pleasant for her as she said and she only left for a blood-traitor so if it was a muggle-born you were talking to and- and well Frank wouldn't tell."

"I repeat, he wouldn't?" Frank questioned.

"Come on Frank. If you tell, then she loses her status in her house. If she loses her house status, then she can't protect Francis anymore."

"I'm not protecting Francis."

"Please, everyone talks about that fight between Aias Burke and Yaxley," Frank sighed. "Alice is right. If it weren't for you, Francis would be in the same shoes." Alice got a smug look on her face. "Okay fine you win," he told her.

"Thank you!" she smiled cheerily. Andromeda couldn't help but smile a little. "Anyway," she said, turning back to Andromeda, "_I_ won't be telling and I'm guessing Frank won't either." She giggled. "It's so cute though."

"You just like other people's love affairs," Frank snorted.

"I must admit, I take little interest in your affair with Rosie Hart."

"Eh, well, it's destined to end soon enough."

"Must you be so cold? She has feelings you know!"

"I thought you weren't interested!"

"I'm not."

"Then why do you care about her feelings?"

"Maybe she's not the one I don't care about," Alice bit back. Andromeda bent down and scooped up her books.

"If you must know, it's a mutual thing. We're both a bit disinterested."

"Disinterested?"

"We've talked about it. Right now she's using me to make Oliver Johnson jealous and I'm alright with that."

"Oh are you?"

"I'm going to go," Andromeda said faintly.

"Oh, alright then. Good-bye," Alice said offhandedly.

"I mean, I don't like anybody right now. Well, I mean not anybody I have a chance of hooking up with anytime soon. At least I don't think I do."

"Who is it? I'll tell you whether or not you have a chance."

"No."

"Why not?" Andromeda heard Alice ask as she faded out of hearing range. She tried not to let herself run down to the common room.

**Please don't hate me. You can hate Rodolphus. You really can. And you can say he dies in the 7****th**** book because I don't think it mentions whether or not he does, but don't hate me, please?**

**Okay, so warning, the next chapter is pretty light, fluffy, and short. It's just a conversation between Frank, Francis, and Andromeda.**


	30. Part 3: Chapter 3

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_July 1970_

"Which Hairstyle for Which Witch," Francis read out loud before flopping the copy of Witch's Weekly in front of Andromeda. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Andromeda said, staring into the mirror in the bathroom in Francis's house, her wand sitting on the sink in front of her. A warm summer breeze fluttered through the small window, interfering with the cooling charm one of her parents had cast around the house.

"You know if you wanted a change, you could just wear your hair down." Andromeda shook her head as she stared critically at her hair in the mirror, fingering an end that hung over her shoulder. The frizzy brown hair spread to the midpoint of her back and usually she pulled it back into a ponytail. But she was tired of it. She was tired of looking like Bella every time she thought about letting her hair down. She picked up her wand, studied a picture she rather liked and then muttered the spell to cut back her hair, watching as the strands fell onto the ground. Finally, she pulled her wand and began studying herself in the mirror. She twisted it in her hand to make a ponytail. Her bangs fell forward but most of her hair could still be pulled back.

"What do you think?"

"I'm used to the long hair," Francis shrugged honestly. "But it looks pretty nice."

"Thank-" The door banged open and both girls looked up to see Frank coming into the room. He turned pink as he saw Andromeda and Francis in the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Andromeda sharply.

"Hanging out with Francis," she answered simply.

"No I mean in the bathroom," he told her. Andromeda couldn't help but notice that he was very fidgety.

"Oh, did you need to use it?" she asked innocently.

"Kind of."

"We'll just clean up in here and then-"

"It's okay. You can just come back."

"I don't think Mum would like that very much," Francis declared. "She isn't generally very happy if we leave a mess around."

"Alright, alright. I really have to pee! Are you happy now?" Frank growled. Francis laughed as she left the room, Andromeda fighting hard not to smile.

"That was mean," she declared with a smirk as they headed towards Francis's bedroom.

"You started it," Francis shrugged as she opened her door and walked inside of it. She turned suddenly and looked at Andromeda closely. "I do rather like it. I'm glad you didn't go with the terribly short one though. I don't think a bob would have gone over very well."

"I couldn't have shoved it in a ponytail," Andromeda declared. Francis rolled her eyes before walking over and flopping down on her bed. Andromeda took a seat at her desk chair and began amusing herself by making bubbles come out of the end of her wand.

"You're very grown up, aren't you?" a voice asked at the doorway.

"Go away Frank," Francis sighed.

"You left your magazine in the bathroom," he said, walking in and dropping it down next to Francis. Andromeda stopped making bubbles and stood up, heading for the bathroom to go clean up the mess. "Thanks I suppose," Francis told him.

Andromeda began to clean up her hair in the bathroom, still listening through the pair of open doors. "So did you cut your hair or something?" Frank called out to her.

"Well, it certainly wasn't my hair in the bathroom," Francis reminded him. "My hair's straight."

"Yes," Andromeda answered back.

"So you came over here today to cut your hair?" Frank asked as Andromeda came back into the room, slipping her wand into her pocket.

"I suppose that was one of my intentions," she shrugged.

"Not that you need one. You've been here more than you've been home this summer," he sighed.

"Would you get out of my room Frank?" Francis asked him in annoyance. He rolled his eyes and went to go stand in the doorway as Andromeda settled back into the desk chair.

"Better?"

"Much," Francis agreed dryly.

"I haven't been here more than I've been home."

"Yeah, she's been here and Ted's flat more than she's been home," Francis giggled.

"You know about her and the muggle-born?" Frank asked in astonishment. Andromeda snorted.

"She's known since the beginning," she informed him.

"Before she did even," Francis added proudly. "I'm telling you, sixth sense."

"Look if you're picking up on something between him and Alice, that's not sixth sense, that everyone can see but them," Andromeda snorted. Frank turned pink and glared at both of them.

"Alice is a friend."

"Ahuh," Francis agreed. Her brother glared at her again.

"So when was the beginning?" Frank asked. "Just out of curiosity."

"Over a year ago," Andromeda informed him.

"Snoop," Francis put-in.

"Whoa."

"Yes, longer than any of your relationships have ever lasted," Francis said snidely.

"I'm only fifteen," he shot back. "Would you like me to start criticizing you on your lack of any relationships? Unless you want me to bring up Paulie Cackler."

"That doesn't count."

"Paulie Cackler?" Andromeda asked.

"Boy who kissed me when I was like five."

"I believe the note you got sent home from school with said you kissed him," Frank said, raising an eyebrow. Francis sighed, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him. He ignored her and turned back to Andromeda. "So it wasn't some random fling then? What Alice and I saw?" Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"No."

"Oh," he paused and then looked down at his shoes for a moment. "I'm sorry I said I was going to tell. I wouldn't have."

"Really?" Andromeda asked dryly, disbelievingly.

"Really. I kind of wanted to because you were a Slytherin bu-"

"Hey!" Francis yelped.

"Oh you're not really a Slytherin anyway."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you're not. You're a Gryffindor who wound up in the wrong house."

"I am _not_ a Gryffindor," Francis fought.

"Regardless, I wouldn't have told. And I am sorry."

"Thank you," Andromeda said slowly, studying the younger boy.

"I mean maybe I would have but I didn't think- I didn't know you were actually serious. I thought it was just a fling and it- I didn't think Alice was right when she said something about her mother leaving or something like that."

"Is that why you're apologizing? Because Alice told you too?" Francis asked.

"No. I don't do things just because Alice tells me to anyway."

"Sometimes you do."

"I do not!" Frank argued back

"What about the time-"

"Must you always bring that up! I was six!" Frank yelped as Francis grinned widely.

"Bring what up?" Andromeda asked.

Francis giggled. "When Frank was six-"

"Don't tell her!"

"-and Alice was five, she was going through a phase where she really liked playing dress-up and getting into her mum's make-up."

"Fine, I'll see about disowning you as a sister."

"You've been trying to do that since my sorting."

"I have not."

"You have too. Anyway, so Alice is bored one day and she really wants someone to play dress-up with. Of course there's me, because back then we were fairly good friends, but I was four. And I decide to be a dog. So guess what Alice dresses Frank up as? A very lovely little witch. Actually, he was rather pretty."

"I was not," Frank grumbled.

"What do you care? Andromeda's a Slytherin, remember?" Francis pointed out.

"Barely."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andromeda asked sharply as Francis got off her bed and headed towards her closet.

"Dating a muggle-born is hardly the best Slytherin behavior now is it?" Frank asked leaning against the doorframe and smirking.

"Hm, sneaking around. Last I checked that involved cunning. Being willing to have a hidden relationship around Hogwarts, the biggest gossip mill ever known to wizard-kind sounds rather ambitious to me. Sounds like I'm a fairly good Slytherin."

"Except for the key 'pure ancestry' part," he said smugly while his sister rummaged through her closet.

"My ancestry is pure. Ancestry means the generations that came before," Andromeda replied back, raising an eyebrow.

"I know," Frank complained.

"Found it!" Francis yelped. Frank's eyes got wide as he dashed back into his younger sister's room.

"Give that to me!"

"No!"

"I can't believe you still have that! I thought they all got burned!"

"Ha, ha!" Francis laughed, running away from him.

"Francis!"

**Told you. Just fluff. Next chapter gets serious (whether that's a good thing or not is up to you). Anyway, hope you liked the fluff bit!**


	31. Part 3: Chapter 4

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_August 1970_

"Knight to E5," Brian muttered before looking up and smirking at her. Andromeda glared back at him. "You're always welcome to resign," he told her, his grin staying plastered to his face.

"No."

"Sure about that? No dignity lost. Well, actually, some lost but just to me. Not like that matters much."

"I'm not resigning."

"You'll lose even more dignity if you full out lose."

"And imagine how much I'll gain when I beat your sorry arse."

"Keep dreaming, Ann."

"You're just scared out of your wits," Andromeda said as she heard the door to the flat open. She couldn't help but smile. She was lying on her stomach, facing away from the door while Brian sat in front of her, across the chessboard. He looked up and nodded at the incomer before returning to the game.

"You keep thinking that, kiddo."

"So this is how chess is really played between two terrible chess players," Ted commented, sitting down next to Andromeda. "It's all in the insults."

"Hey, I am not a terrible chess player!" Andromeda insisted.

"Yeah, me either!" Brian doubled as Andromeda sat up. Ted brushed through her hair and leaned close to her ear.

"If you move your bishop to D3 you'll put him in check and he won't be able to take either of your pieces," he whispered. Andromeda shivered a little, feeling his warm breath on her ear just before Ted kissed right next to her ear, trying to make it look as though he hadn't said anything at all. She smiled and moved her bishop as he'd said. Brian picked up his hand to move his knight and then drew it back, glaring.

"Check," Andromeda told him with a smirk.

"Oh you think I'm not on to you? I've noticed that her game always improves when you come and sit next to her," he huffed, with a grin on his face.

"I'll admit, my confidence just goes through the roof when he's near me and it boosts the logical part of my brain. Suddenly I get far better at chess."

"Right sure. If that's all it is, then you won't mind if Ted comes and whispers 'sweet little nothings' in _my_ ear."

"Well if you really want," Ted said. Andromeda could see the corners of his mouth twitching as he slipped over by his roommate's side and leaned close to his ear. Brian laughed and shoved him away.

"Alright, alright! She can cheat as long as I get to smash her in this game."

"I was going to go find something for dinner anyway," Ted said as he stood.

"Are you staying for dinner again, Boleyn?" Brian asked as he contemplated the board and then moved his rook to block her bishop.

"Mmm," Andromeda muttered as she nodded her head, studying the board before moving her bishop.

"And your parents' don't care that you're spending so much time at a flat with one very sexy, handsome boy and well, Ted over there?"

"My parents are in France."

"For the whole summer?"

"I believe they're headed to Germany for a while next week," Andromeda shrugged. "Your move." She watched him take her rook with his knight. "Jerk!"

"Ha, ha!" he yelped happily.

"What happened?" Ted called from the kitchen.

"He took my rook."

"How could he have taken your rook? You could have won the game in one move!" Ted replied back, walking out from behind the counters to look at them. Andromeda and Brian both stared at him.

"What?" Andromeda asked.

"She could not have? Could she?" Brian questioned, looking down at the pieces. He took Andromeda's rook and placed it back on the board, trying to puzzle out what Ted was talking about as Andromeda got to her feet and headed over to Ted's side, jumping up on one of the counters, watching as he flicked his wand at a group of carrots.

"You've got to teach me how to do that," Andromeda told him. Ted laughed.

"I thought I was the muggle-born here."

"Dolly always did the cooking stuff. Where did you learn it?"

"The muggle way. Then I learned the magic shortcuts from a book," Ted told her as he walked over to the counter where she was sitting, placing his hands on either side of her legs to lean against the counter. Andromeda ran her fingers through his hair and shook her head.

"You have dirt on your nose again."

"Oh really?" Ted asked before stealing a kiss and stopping the carrots from cleaning, peeling, and cutting themselves.

"Yes."

"So have you been at Francis's all day today?"

"No, Ann's been here alone with me. We were actually just taking a break from our vicious activities in the bedroom. You ready to go again, Perenna?" Brian asked. Andromeda glared at him as Ted pulled out his wand and hit his friend with a Jelly-Legs Jinx.

"Not funny!" Brian called out as he leaned against the last of the island counters that separated the kitchen from the main part of the flat. With is legs wobbling he began searching his pockets to fix his legs. Andromeda snorted and Ted smiled as he flung the carrots into a pan and added water.

"Mind you, he'd better not be telling the truth," Ted continued with his grin. Andromeda slipped down from the counter and put her arms around him.

"I like my men sexy and handsome so no, not a chance," she told him, before kissing him lightly, feeling Ted's left hand slip to the middle of her back as he held on to the pan with carrots in his other.

"Hey, what is this? Be mean to Brian day!"

"Oh I find you devilishly handsome Brian," Ted proclaimed with a smile as he and Andromeda pulled apart, his hand still resting on her back as he leaned forward to place the carrots on the stove. Andromeda laughed.

"Gee, thanks, just what I always wanted you to say," Brian replied, rolling his eyes. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken."

"No potatoes?" Andromeda asked.

"No potatoes," he agreed.

"Freak," Brian added jokingly. Andromeda stuck her tongue out at him as she moved back to her counter and pulled herself back up on it.

"Back to your question, no, I wasn't at Francis's all day. I actually was at my house most of the morning."

"Really?" Ted asked.

"Yes."

"Didn't know she actually had a home," Brian teased. "She's here so often I thought she was just about to move in."

"Don't I wish," Andromeda sighed, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. Ted looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She blushed and looked down at her lap, feeling the strand of her bangs she had just pushed back fall forward again. Brian wolf whistled and laughed before he left the kitchen again.

"I didn't mean it like that," Andromeda said quickly, looking up at Ted.

"I know." For a moment, the conversation stopped and Andromeda turned back to staring at her lap. "So what did you do all morning?"

"I was filling out an application," she said softly.

"St. Mungo's? Already?"

"Well, I heard that if you want to start training right after Hogwarts you need to submit it in December or January and- and I want to make sure I double check it and- and- stop laughing at me Ted!"

"You should have been a Ravenclaw," he chortled as he put the chicken in the oven and walked over the counter, standing in front of her. "I would have done the exact same thing if I had known what job to apply for." Andromeda laughed.

"Yes, you're the perfect couple," Brian sighed as he walked by on the way to the bathroom. "Sickeningly perfect."

"Oh Brian, baby, you know I love you just as much!" Andromeda called after him. Ted wolf whistled as they heard the door shut. Andromeda laughed as Ted grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down from the counter. He moved his hands up into her hair, separating out the strands with his fingers.

"He did the same thing too you know," Ted told her.

"Brian?"

"I'm telling you. It's a Ravenclaw trait."

"I should have been in Ravenclaw."

"You think so?"

"No."

"No?"

"Well, I wanted to be with Bella and- and you've said it yourself she calmed down for a while even though she's- well I've told you she hasn't been home at all the summer and some of the things I've seen on her robes when she comes back. And Francis. I would have left her all alone."

"That wouldn't be very nice for her."

"No," Andromeda agreed slipping around Ted to stare at the carrots on the stove.

"Alright, fine, I'll teach you," he sighed. "Tomorrow."

"Thank you!" she yelped, turning around and kissing him.

It was past midnight when Andromeda finally arrived back at home. The large house felt very quiet as she opened the door and walked inside, sliding softly down the hallway, pausing at the door to the drawing room. A glint of gold struck her eye and she peered inside to see Narcissa sprawled out asleep on the couch. Andromeda walked over to her sister and reached down, about to wake her up when she became aware of voices coming from the kitchen. Her spine straightened as she listened more, managing to pick out Bellatrix's voice. Slowly she crept towards the kitchen pausing before she could see inside or they could see her, listening. She heard a man's voice. Rodolphus. He was talking to someone telling them it was honorable and right. Andromeda leaned against the wall, listening more.

"It's how things are supposed to be," Bellatrix added to Rodolphus's comment. "It feels right, feels good."

"I- I- but what about the Ministry?" someone else said.

"You honestly think the Dark Lord would let himself or any of those loyal to him be caught by the sniveling, mud-blood infested Ministry?" Bellatrix asked, seeming quite amused. Andromeda heard two other people snort.

"They've caught-"

"He was a traitor to the cause," Bellatrix snapped, interrupting him. "And don't you forget it. He pays his followers most dearly but those who are not loyal to him must pay the price."

"It's what's right Lucius," Rabastan Lestrange put-in. Andromeda's eyes widened. Lucius. They were talking to Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa's fiancé of only sixteen.

"But would he want me? I still have the trace on me, you have to remember. He- he didn't like that last time when you brought me with you."

"He has changed his mind. He has decided that there is no better time for you to prove your loyalty than when you are most vulnerable," Bellatrix asked him. "Just a little spying. That's all it is."

"It's what's right. You know it is. Don't you want to do something about the scum that surround us everyday? Doesn't it disgust you as it does me? Are you truly a pure-blood?" Rodolphus questioned.

"I am!" Lucius protested. Andromeda shook a little, debating moving.

"Then join with us. It's all that can be done. You can help us irradiate them," Rodolphus said smoothly.

"I- I-"

"Leave him alone," Andromeda growled, finally leaving her space on the wall.

"Annie, I would have thought you'd be asleep," Bellatrix replied looking at her, seeming far from startled. Andromeda didn't even look her way.

"Lucius, don't listen. You'll get hurt. You will. He hurt Bella. Right when she started to follow him. She spent the whole night sick and in pain because of what he'd done, because of the mark he put on her arm!"

"I did that in loyalty to the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix yelped. "It was an honor." Lucius seemed nervous as he looked between Andromeda and Bellatrix. His gray eyes, a lighter shade than the sisters' seemed to twitch with uncertainty.

"It isn't right Lucius. They're lying to you. You will get hurt," Andromeda pleaded.

"Stop this Annie! You know nothing," Bellatrix yelled at her. "What do you know of the cause?"

Finally she whipped around to face her sister. "I know what it's done to you! I know that you've become a murderer and crueler than ever. I know that you won't stand up for anything you used to oppose except blood status when you're around other people because you won't stand up for me or Cissy anymore! If you did you wouldn't be trying to make him join. You'd know what it would do to Cissy. She won't leave him! And if he follows You-Know-Who, he's bound to hurt her!"

"I would stand up for you till the ends of the earth and you know that!"

"You won't even stand up for me against him!" she yelled, jabbing her finger at Rodolphus.

"You shouldn't be opposing him anyway!"

"But you yelled at him for me, when no one was around. We heard you, Cissy and I, did you know that? Why won't you? Because your- your 'Dark Lord' has made you a coward! If you think that anything you do might be perceived as disloyal to him, you won't do it! Even if it comes to losing loyalty to your sisters, to your family, to everyone you used to love!"

"He has not made me a coward!" Bellatrix yelled. Andromeda saw her reaching into her pocket for her wand and quickly pulled her own.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, watching as her sister's wand came flying into her own hand. Then she yelped as she felt hands grabbing her upper arms and pulling her close, Rodolphus. Bellatrix stood in front of her, seething. Rabastan sat leaning against the table casually, taking in all that was happening. Lucius looked lost and frightened, seeming small, young. "Prove me wrong Bella. Prove it! Tell him to let me go. Tell him now!"

"Like I would do anything for you traitor! You think I don't know where you've been all summer?" Andromeda kicked hard against Rodolphus's shin and managed to pull sharply away, zooming across the kitchen only to have Bellatrix turn on her. "You think I, your sister, didn't start paying attention? I never thought it would be you. I thought you were a good girl who would stick to the books and never even have a lover, much less the one you chose. But I was wrong, wasn't I? You think I don't know what filth you got into? I got curious when I saw the signs last winter! I got proof that spring. I've figured it out!" She reached into her pocket again, grabbing a hold of a knife most likely used for potions. Andromeda grabbed her wand and sent her sister slamming back to the opposite side of the room. Lucius recoiled back to the edge of the kitchen, looking terrified. Rabastan and Rodolphus were looking at the fight with interest. Andromeda saw Narcissa come running into the room, her hair frazzled from sleep. She automatically slunk against the wall next to Lucius.

"I say we make this fairer," Rabastan said, pointing his wand at Andromeda. She felt Bellatrix's wand come zooming out of her pocket. He caught it lightly and threw it over at Bellatrix with a smirk.

"Excellent idea," Rodolphus laughed. "Not that Bellatrix wouldn't be able to get Andromeda without it." Andromeda tuned them out, just staring across at Bellatrix with her eyes narrowed. At the corner of her eye she saw Lucius trembling with Narcissa standing next to him, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes down. Bellatrix started stepping forward and Andromeda tried to back up until she hit a wall.

"Now who's the coward Annie?" Bellatrix asked. Andromeda glanced at her and then ran forward, curving around the other side of the table from where Rabastan was leaning. He turned around to keep watching. Lucius looked like he was shaking enough to cause an earthquake, and Narcissa was breathing heavily as if she was about to cry.

"I never said I wanted to fight!" she yelped back.

"Shouldn't have made the choices you have, should you of?" Bellatrix asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I must admit. I'm curious. What exactly are we speaking of here?" Rodolphus asked kindly.

"Annie has chosen to bestow her affections on a mud-blood," Bellatrix answered her eyes, narrowed, still focused on Andromeda. She slammed the knife down into the table. It stuck straight up, barely quivering; it was in deep. Bellatrix turned around the table and began heading after her sister. "Isn't that true?"

"Bella, stop this!" Andromeda yelled at her.

"It is true! How dare you! I've seen all the signs! I wouldn't have believed it otherwise," Bellatrix growled. "Why you Annie? Why! He is nothing compared to you! And yet you chose to- You've let something so insignificant become a part of your life, a part of you!" She pointed her wand at Andromeda again and quickly Andromeda looked behind her, seeing another wall; she dashed beneath the table, shaking as she heard a spell hit a chair, inches away from her foot. Splinters of wood went across the floor. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest as she tried to get as close as she could to the door out. If she could get close, perhaps she could run off and get to the door. She could apparate; she could get away. She glanced behind her, trying to see how close Bellatrix was when someone leaned down and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her up and causing a loud clunk as her head hit the table. Dazed she looked up to see Rabastan holding her. He was keeping her as far off from him as possible while at the same time his fingers curled harshly into her arms. Suddenly he let go and shoved her towards Rodolphus who caught her and gave her another shove that sent her to the ground in front of Narcissa, the whole world spinning as her head pounded.

"Filth!" Rodolphus declared looking down at her. Andromeda felt a hand on her elbow and almost pulled it back when she realized it was Narcissa, helping her to her feet. For only a brief instant Narcissa's eyes caught on Andromeda's; there were silent tears running from her blue eyes.

"You shouldn't be helping her!" Bellatrix yelled.

"It's not fair to go three against one," Narcissa declared back, her voice quivering.

"Are you saying you're on the side of this traitor?" Rabastan demanded.

"No but it's still not fair! She's still my sister!" Narcissa shot back, her tears, dripping down her face as Andromeda finally got to her feet. She let go of Andromeda's elbow quickly.

"You knew, didn't you?" Bellatrix shot at her. "You knew she was a slut, dealing in mud and filth and lies!" Andromeda put her hand to her head, trying to see straight.

"Of course I knew! Of course I saw it. But she's still my sister!" Narcissa called back. Andromeda moved her hand from her forehead. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her, especially not three against one, not even you!" Andromeda's eyes darted around the room, catching for an instant on Rabastan's before she suddenly shot off through the door, trying to head outside. Rodolphus dashed after her. She could hear his footsteps catching up to her and she shoved her elbows back, ready to jab him if he tried to grab her upper arms again. Instead he streaked in front of her, blocking her way in the hallway, and she began to pull her wand when she was hit with a spell from behind and began to scream, pain tearing through her body.

"Bella, stop it!" Narcissa yelled right before Andromeda blacked-out.

**Um, yeah, I told you, a bit less fluffy than the last chapter…**


	32. Part 3: Chapter 5

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_August 1970_

Andromeda was five and she woke up in the middle of the night feeling terrible. She went into Bella's room, trying to wake her big sister up, but she couldn't. She kept shaking Bella's shoulder, over and over again but to no avail. Bella didn't move an inch. Just her chest moved up and down but even her black hair fanned across her pillow stayed steady.

"Bella! Bella, wake up! Bella, I need you. I need you! Bella!" she called out, still shaking Bella, now sitting on the bed with her sister.

"She won't listen anymore," came a quiet voice. Andromeda looked up to see Narcissa standing in the doorway, her nightgown nearly drowning her tiny body.

"I need her to! I feel yucky!" Andromeda said. "Make her wake up Cissy."

"She won't for me either," Narcissa assured her, her blue eyes wide. She was three, tiny, but still perfect on the outside. Her feet allowed her to glide across the floor and she too crawled on to Bella's bed.

"Bella. Bella, will you wake up?" Cissy asked, lightly shaking Bella's shoulder. Bella began to toss and turn but she wouldn't wake.

"Maybe she's sick too!" Andromeda wailed. "Bella! Bella!"

"Bella," came a man's voice and suddenly Bella sat up in bed, her eyes shooting open. Andromeda turned to the shadows to see where the voice came from but whoever was there was hidden from her sight. Narcissa jumped off the bed and stood still, the behavior Andromeda recognized as her good-girl behavior she put on when there were grown-ups around. Bella had gotten out of bed and was heading into the shadows. She was going to disappear with the man.

"Bella!" Andromeda called but her sister didn't seem to notice. "Bella! Bella! Bella!" she kept yelling, running forward, feeling sicker by the second as she caught up with her sister and tried to turn her to no prevail. "Bella!" And she was gone into the shadows with the man Andromeda couldn't see. She fell to the ground crying and Narcissa moved forward.

"What's wrong with you Annie?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I feel sick," Andromeda told her.

"I don't mean that. How come you can't see him? How come you can't see? Bella wants to know too 'cause she can't see you anymore either 'cause you couldn't see her first."

"There's nothing wrong with me! I just feel sick," Andromeda cried. "I don't feel good! I want Bella! I want my tummy to feel better," she sobbed. "I want to feel good! I want to feel good! Why do I feel so icky?"

"Because you screwed up," someone yelled at her, standing in front of her. Andromeda looked up to see Rodolphus and slowly she got to her feet. Narcissa was gone; Andromeda was grown, but Rodolphus still seemed so much taller. "You've got to pay for what you've done!" he snarled.

"No you don't. Dromeda you've done nothing!" someone familiar yelped angrily at Rodolphus.

"Mud-blood!" Rodolphus yelled and pointed his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

"Ted!" Andromeda shrieked, slamming to the ground, next to him, seeing him dead. She looked up to see Francis dead, Kitty, Brian, many people she had seen at a glance but who she wasn't supposed to care about. She saw an old muggle woman at the end and the sight made her cry and feel even sicker. Andromeda dashed to her feet, tears streaming down her face, nearly doubled up because of her stomach, looking for Rodolphus. She wanted him dead, wanted revenge. But the only one she saw was Narcissa sitting on the ground bleeding heavily at the side, her hand covering the actual wound.

"Cissy! Cissy, who did it? Where did he go? I'll get him! I'll get him," she assured her sister, falling back to the age of five while Cissy was only three.

"He's gone, gone with Bella," she cried. "And you helped! Annie, you helped," she cried, pulling her hand back from where she was bleeding. And Andromeda threw up over the ground.

With a jerk, Andromeda woke up, her body stinging from where she had just fallen out of her bed. Her nose wrinkled as she realized she had fallen into a pile of her own puke and as quickly as she could, she got to her feet, searching around for her wand. She was in her room, morning light shining through her window. Her body ached, her head was pounding, and she smelled bad from her recent landing in a puddle of sick. She winced. At least her stomach felt better. Without daring to think further, she decided to head into the shower, grabbing clean clothes as she went. Her whole mind seemed cloudy; she was trying to figure out what had really happened and what was a dream. The warm water began to run down her body, cleaning off the smell of her own throw-up as her mind began to sort out fantasy and reality. She reached up to rinse through her hair and found a lump on her head. The table, running, Bellatrix. She flinched. Was it over? Was she out of the family? Then why was she home? Vaguely the idea occurred to her that she could be dead. She laughed at it a little; she would know if she was dead. She stopped the water and got dressed, too confused to do anything out of the routine.

"I heard the water running and figured you were up," Bellatrix said, getting up from Andromeda's bed as Andromeda walked into her room again. Andromeda froze, staring at her older sister, her heart pounding. She wasn't sure whether to run in fear, to yell in anger, or cry in disappointment. "I- I cleaned up after you- where you were sick," Bellatrix told her.

"Thank you," Andromeda replied cautiously her eyes darting back and forth across her room, always keeping Bellatrix in clear sight. They fell silent and Andromeda brought her arms to her chest, still watching her older sister. Bellatrix wasn't looking at her; she was looking off to the side, her head hung down. Each breath seemed to take ages. Andromeda still couldn't figure out what to feel. Bellatrix wasn't contributing to the discussion either. When she moved, finally bringing her head up, Andromeda nearly jumped a foot in the air. Bellatrix's shoulders stiffened, her eyes becoming sad at seeing Andromeda's reaction.

"I didn't mean to make you scared," she pleaded softly. Andromeda didn't answer, still keeping her eyes pinned on her older sister but at the same time wishing desperately she could look away. Her hand was inside of the pocket of her robe, clutching at her wand, just in case. "I didn't mean to hurt you Annie. You know I never would. I love you! I wouldn't- Annie, please," Bellatrix continued. Andromeda shook her head, giving a sudden shiver as though she were cold. "I never thought I would hurt you."

"Neither did I," Andromeda finally spoke. Her voice seemed to crackle as the words came out of her mouth.

"Why?" Bellatrix looked up at her, her eyes desperate and pleading for an answer. Andromeda shook her head. "Why did you- Why would you be with him? Why? Annie, tell me why!"

"Because you weren't there," she replied softly. "I needed someone, someone to argue with, someone to care what was going on with me, someone I could care about, someone to make me smile when I was sad. And I found a friend. And as it turned out that friend became more." Bellatrix stood there, unreadable. Andromeda took a deep breath and began to speak again. "I needed you Bella. You were my best friend, the only one who knew everything about me. And you left."

"I never left! I'm still right here!"

"No, no you aren't! You chose You-Know-Who. You followed him. And you left me behind."

"So leave him, the mud-blood! I'll come back. Annie, I'll come back once this is over! It won't be that long. Just hold on, just wait!"

"No," she said plainly, her hand tightening around her wand even more. Bellatrix was sad but she could switch to angry any moment. And that scared Andromeda.

"Can't you wait! Just wait and it will go back to how it used to be. It'll go right back!"

"No," she replied softly. "Bella, no. It will never go back to how it was."

"Don't say that! Don't say that Annie! You're just supposed to wait for me, for this to be over! I can forgive you for what you've done with him, I can! It's not permanent. None of this is permanent."

Andromeda shook her head. "Forgive me? I don't want to be forgiven. I love him. I love the idea of being free. I've figured out things you can't even imagine. The problem isn't you forgiving me, Bella; it's that I could never forgive you." Bellatrix stared at Andromeda, her face unreadable. Andromeda felt herself shaking a little, unable to keep completely still.

"You've never seen it, have you? You've never seen the point, the difference between us and them?"

"I thought I did," Andromeda answered. "And then I realized it just wasn't there."

"You're lying to yourself," she growled, her eyes narrowing.

"I think you've been lied to," Andromeda answered, meeting her sister's eyes.

"No one's lied to me and gotten away with it."

"How would you know?" Andromeda asked.

"Because I can tell!"

"How?"

"Because I've learned how, just like he has! I'm not as good as him but I can! And I can keep them out, the traitors like you!" she yelled angrily.

"Legilimency?" Andromeda asked as calmly as she could manage. Her fingers curled securely around her wand, her heart rate going up with Bellatrix's volume.

"Of course," she answered dryly.

"That doesn't mean you can't be lied to. It just means someone can't knowingly tell you a lie. And it says nothing about those who know Occlumency."

"And you who knows nothing of either magic is supposed to be more aware of what is truth and fiction than me?"

"Yes."

"Andromeda that makes no sense!"

"It does! I've seen it Bella! I've seen their blood; it's the same as ours!"

"The dirt is not in the appearance. Did you really think that's all it was?"

"I've seen him perform spells just as well if not better than me. I've listened to them talk, muggles and muggle-borns and they are the same! Bella, they're the same! Exactly the same! I've seen it!"

"You've been deceived!"

"I have not!"

"He's lied to you!"

"No, he hasn't. He didn't even tell me; I figure it out, me."

"He slipped under your skin and fed you lies Annie! You're being stupid. He did and that girl! I should have believed Cissy! She said she was trouble, you making friends with Francis. She's helped him hasn't she?"

"No it was me! Bella it was me!" Andromeda yelled desperately, seeing a fearful glint in her sister's eye. "It was all me." Bellatrix glared at her and shook her head. Suddenly she began to walk towards the door. Andromeda whined and jumped back.

"I won't be back the rest of the summer. Tell mother and father what you wish. I'm going on a trip. I'm not about to tell them about you. Hopefully you'll soon see sense although I doubt Rodolphus will still take you. I'm afraid it's my fault for announcing your lapse of judgment in front of him." She paused with her hand on the doorknob. "Perhaps you can still find someone else if he doesn't spill."

"Look what he's done to you Bella," Andromeda told her sister, looking at her directly in the face. Bellatrix looked away. "You loved us, Cissy and me. You loved us. Now I bet you don't even know what's going on in Cissy's life. And you've hurt me Bella! You used the Cruciatus Curse on me!"

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have done it," she said drearily, her eyes looking up at Andromeda's seeming dull and uncaring. "Not that I completely believe you didn't deserve it."

"Bella!" Andromeda asked in panic.

"Good-bye Andromeda," she said curtly and then opened the door, slamming it shut. Andromeda put her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall, fighting hard not to cry.

* * *

"And she used the Cruciatus on you?" Ted asked again, with a scowl on his face that made Andromeda very glad she was the one holding the knife that was cutting the pineapple in front of her.

"Yes Ted," Andromeda sighed. "I already told you-"

"I know," he growled. "I'm just-" He seemed at loss for something to say and instead stamped his foot on the tile in the kitchen and leaned back against the counter. "It's hard for me to believe."

"I know," she answered softly. "Okay, I got all the prickly outside stuff off. What do I do now?" Ted walked back towards her, coming up behind her as he looked at the pineapple.

"You just cut it into smaller pieces."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Is there a non-muggle way to do this?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Let's wait until you learn the basics before we teach you the shortcuts."

"Why?" she demanded, putting the knife down and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because otherwise, you won't know if a spell goes wrong and," he picked up the knife, "I'm not quite sure letting you play with magic and knives at the same time is a wise idea just yet."

"Oh very funny Ted," Andromeda growled, reaching over and taking the knife back from him. He scurried backwards as though afraid. Andromeda rolled her eyes as she continued to cut. She heard him sigh and she looked up to meet his eye.

"So does that mean you've left?"

"No."

"How does it not?"

"It just doesn't."

"Dromeda, she hit you with an Unforgivable!"

"I know."

"And you're still living in the same home!"

"Well aware Ted," she replied, taking a handful and putting them into a bowl.

"What happens when she does the same thing again?"

"She won't."

"You don't know that!"

"She won't because she won't even be home the rest of the summer."

"So she says."

"She won't be Ted," Andromeda sighed, setting down the knife and turning around, leaning against the counter.

"I don't want you to go back home."

"And what would you prefer me do? Come and live here? No, that doesn't put you in more danger at all. Go be with Francis? Her parents have enough worries as it is without harboring a runaway blood-traitor! I'm not leaving until I can stand on my own two feet and that's all there is to it!"

"Dromeda-"

"Don't Ted. Just- I know what I'm doing. You have to believe that."

"But I know you don't," he said openly. "You and I both know perfectly well that you're completely playing this by ear. You have no idea what's going on or what's going to happen."

"I know I'm not ready to leave," she said quietly. She looked up at him, looked at his eyes. "I haven't said good-bye yet, not to Cissy, not to Regulus and Sirius. I haven't tried to tell them why I'm going. I have to try."

"Why do you have to try?"

"Because I just have to. Because if I don't I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what would have happened if I had just tried to explain."

"But they won't listen," he stressed.

"I know that. But what if by some slim chance they do?"

"Is that slim chance worth you possibly getting killed?" Ted demanded of her.

"I'm not going to get killed."

"If she'll use one unforgivable she could use another. Dromeda, please, just leave. I don't care if you're with me or not! I don't care if you go to South America or find some body-building hunk or- or go run off and get married to a girl! Just get out! I don't want you there."

"Why am I going to South America?"

"I don't know," Ted growled, pushing his hands through his hair.

"Or running off with a girl when I pretty obviously like guys?"

"Dromeda," Ted groaned.

"And a body builder? I'm not even quite sure what that is. It really sounds like the opposite of a Death Eater, doesn't it?"

"Dromeda, please listen to me," Ted said, grabbing her wrists in his hands, making her look into his eyes. She wanted to look away but yet she couldn't make herself. He looked near tears, his eyes filled with fear and worry and anger. "You are in danger! You need to leave. Can't you understand that?"

"I'm in more danger if I leave than if I stay right now," she sighed, looking away from him and pulling her wrists away. "I have no where to go if I leave. If I stay, Bellatrix might still hold on to the hope that I'm going to come around."

"She sounds like she's pretty well given up on you."

"I need to stay," she murmured, looking back at him and biting on her lip.

"You could come live with me. Honestly if you don't want to share my bed or something, I can go sleep on the couch."

"Ted, the issue here is not in sharing your bed. I would gladly share your bed in all forms of the phrase. The issue is that if I leave and I come here, she will come and find you."

"That's always going to be a problem! She's always going to want to find me! And I don't want to leave you!"

"I'm not letting you make that choice."

"Dromeda!"

"No!"

"You're screwing me over here! If you're going to leave, I'm going to be in danger but if you don't leave, than you're going to be in danger!"

"I'm not in any danger!"

"Yes you are! Dromeda, get it through that thick skull of yours! Your family is dangerous, your sister in particular."

"I know that! Why do you think I'm so worried about you and Francis?"

"But you don't! You don't get it!" he said desperately. "You don't get that she's dangerous to you."

"I do get that Ted! I really do. But she's not going to be there." Ted shook his head and suddenly stopped leaning against the counter across from her, walking storming away into his room. Andromeda paused for a moment, letting her arms hang down at her side before walking after him, slipping through the half opened door to find Ted sitting in a chair, his elbows leaning on his desk, his hands face in his hands. She walked forward softly and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He reacted by shrugging and then sat up, turning to face her.

"I hate this," he said and she realized that he was crying. "Why can't I make you see?" Andromeda stepped forward and he put his arms around her waist as she sat down in his lap.

"I do see," she said quietly. "But I'm too scared of what will happen to you when I leave."

"When?"

"You know I'm going to leave. But right now I still think I'm somewhat safe. And I-I think you're safer as long as I'm there because she won't think you've torn me away. I'm not ready to go. I still- I still need to say good-bye." She realized with a start that there were tears in her eyes and a lump growing in her throat. "Ted I'm so scared! I'm scared of my own sister as long as I stay, but I'm scared of what's going to happen when I leave." And she broke down, burying her head in his shoulder, feeling his tears falling on her as well.

**Don't hate me, don't hate me, don't hate me! She does leave. I've even written the scene, I promise. Just not yet… Next chapter is pretty much pure fluff.**


	33. Part 3: Chapter 6

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_October 1970_

"Dromeda!" Ted yelped, seeing her as she came through one of the back alleys in Hogsmeade, nearly tripping over an empty rubbish bin. He grabbed her by the waist to steady her and turned her body so that behind his body, she wasn't visible to the empty street. His warm lips were on hers although Andromeda didn't have the faintest idea whether she had kissed him first or the other way around. Her arms went around his neck as his hands drew closer around her waist, drawing her nearer to his body. When they put space between their lips again, their foreheads and noses leaned together, leaving them staring into each others eyes. She was sure Ted could feel the thundering of her heart as she stood next to him. "Wotcher," Ted said to her quietly.

"Hello Ted," she replied, breaking the contact as she stepped back a little. He let his hands down from her waist. She looked at him taking him in and then startled looking at him. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, you did notice," he grumbled half to himself and pulled up his sleeve. She had seen the beginning of a wrap-around bandage on his wrist but she realized now that it spread almost all the way up his elbow. "Just a mishap at work. Bit of a bite. It'll be alright."

"From what?" Andromeda asked, a tinge of anger mixed in with concern.

Ted grinned. "Well it doesn't really have a name yet but-"

"You got bitten by an experimental plant?" Andromeda questioned, her eyes studying him sharply.

"Pretty much."

"You are an idiot! Can't you just be careful?"

"I was being careful but that thing's sensitive," he answered back.

"Well could you at least heal it up?" Andromeda demanded.

"It was kind of right before I left and I didn't want to bother going to the nurse at work. She's always busy, I've told you. And I didn't want to be late meeting you here!" he insisted. Andromeda glared at him as he gave her a smug look.

"Give it to me," she demanded, pulling her wand out of her pocket.

"Can't I get a please."

"Not when you still have a bite because you're an idiot. Now Ted."

"Are you going to at least kiss it to make it better? Because I think that would help a lot."

"Theodore," she growled, reaching for his arm. He pulled it back.

"You have to answer one or more of my conditions."

"I'm not saying please."

"Alright, that was one of the least important ones anyway."

"What are the other possible conditions? Kissing your pain away? Because I can give you so many reports on why that's only a psychological cure."

"Dromeda would you- will you- um, come with me Christmas break."

"What?" Andromeda asked, genuinely surprised.

"Please?" he asked seeming surprised by his own question. "I suppose you could, uh, tell your parents you're going to be with Francis, tell them you-you want to spend some time with her outside of school before you're not in school anymore since you won't see her as much next year."

"What brought this on?"

"I, um- you know the more you wait for the answer to this question, the longer it will be before you get to look at my arm."

"Not my arm that will be permanently scarred."

"Will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Come with me."

"Give me your arm and I'll tell you." Without hesitation Ted stretched out his arm and Andromeda began to gingerly unwrap it.

"So?"

"I'm not actually going to answer until you're all done," Andromeda replied as she continued to unwind the hasty bandage. "If you're a good boy and stay still, then I'll tell you."

"Traitor. You're like the lollypop my mum used to promise me if I went to the doctor."

"What's a- Ted!" she squealed. He grinned at her sheepishly as she began glancing down at his arm, and then glaring at him. "How are you not fainting with pain?"

"Actually, my arm just feels numb. There might be something in the venom of the plant."

"Idiot," Andromeda growled. "Sit down," she commanded dragging him to the ground. He sat in a pretzel, his left arm stretched out towards her where she was holding it by the wrist. She sat in front of him on her knees, leaning over his arm. "You wouldn't happen to have any-" he reached into his wallet with his other hand, losing his hand up to his forearm, searching in it before he came out with a bottle of ointment, half used and a piece of gum.

"Want some?" he asked holding out the gum as she took the ointment.

"No thank you," she said in a low voice as she tapped at the wound with her wand.

"Ack, that hurt!" Ted said, trying to jerk his arm back. She held onto his wrist.

"Well, good. A bite like that should hurt. There's something wrong with you if it doesn't. And all I did was clean it," she told him, grabbing the ointment and spreading it across the wound. She was disturbed when he didn't even wince at first with her touching it. This wasn't the first time Ted had gotten bitten by a venomous plant. The ointment he carried removed most venom. He began to moan in pain as it took effect, the numbing effect of the venom fading away, dripping off his skin onto the ground of the alleyway. Andromeda quickly grabbed her wand and began to clamp it shut, following the line of fading plant poison. When she got to the end there was a substantial puddle below Ted's arm.

"There! Idiot. And yes, I'll try and find a way to come with you over break. I'd- I'd like that," she said, failing not to smile at him. He smiled back and then looked away, pulling his arm towards him and looking it over himself.

"You know, that's not actually what I was going to ask you," Ted told her, finishing his inspection of his arm. He didn't say anything more, just wiped away at the involuntary tears that had come to his eyes with his sleeve.

"That explains the stuttering," Andromeda commented, looking at him in bewilderment before beginning to rise to her feet. Ted sprang to his and helped her up the rest of the way. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Dromeda I- Well, what I wanted to ask you was- you know, never mind."

"Okay?"

"No, not never mind. I want to ask you." Andromeda raised her eyebrow at him. "You know, I wish I was more courageous than this."

"Than what?" He didn't answer and instead looked at the ground. "Ted?" Andromeda asked worriedly. "Ted is this something that could be a reaction to the plant bite. I mean maybe we should get you to a healer or-"

He looked up and shook his head. "It's not. I was thinking of doing this before I got bitten but I didn't count on- on the plant bite."

"I don't think anyone ever does?" she suggested. Ted took a deep breath and looked at her in the eyes before taking another breath.

"Will you marry me?"

"You are an idiot," Andromeda declared.

"Is that a no?"

"No, it's not a 'no'. It's a 'you are an idiot'."

"Excuse me, but what exactly am I being idiotic about?"

"Everything I've already mentioned before."

"Ah. So your family."

"In short. And let's throw in Rodolphus even though he doesn't give a hoot about me his pride might still lead him to do stupid things."

"Let's not add that memory to what I'm sure is already going to be a bad memory, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, generally, 'you are an idiot' doesn't lead to a yes," Ted pointed out to her. Andromeda blinked, looking over at him before stepping forward and kissing him gently on the lips. His arms spread around her in a hug and she could feel his heart beating rapidly against her chest, its beats slowly settling to a normal pace. "I think it's getting to be a family tradition. Megan rejected my brother the first time he asked her to marry him, did I ever tell you that?" Andromeda kissed him again and then shook her head. He gave her a confused look. "Well, she did. Said she wasn't ready. He says he's glad for it now, he wasn't ready either, but it was one of the worst feelings of his life." Andromeda nodded along and then kissed him once more, still staying in his arms. His bewildered look grew, and she only smiled at him. "You know, it would be nice if you talked sometime in here. I'm feeling quite awkward enough," Ted told her. Andromeda smiled at him and then leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Did you know you're amazing?"

"Well when I was younger I did like to fancy myself the next Kid Marvelman. Thought I actually had evidence for it too since I managed to 'fly' down from a tree one time. Scared my mother half to death but I landed on my feet and wanted to do it again." Andromeda snorted a little.

"That's the comic book character, right?"

"Hey, look who's a fast learner," he chortled lightly, letting go of her waist to the point where his hands were only loosely held on her sides. Andromeda studied him for a moment. He looked a bit sad, a bit rejected and it made her laugh in spite of herself. "What?"

"I've done everything I can to get you to run away," she told him, shaking her head in disbelief. "I've told you all about Bellatrix, everything she's done and I suspect she might do. You know all that I've heard them say about what happens to traitors and the people who they leave for. You've seen Rodolphus and you know there're very few limits in this game. I've told you it all. And you still won't run away. You know me, enough to know that I'm a worrier, and I get obsessive, and I have a temper, and- and everything. Add to that, half the time, all we do is argue. I feel like I don't understand half of your references, which has to make you frustrated-"

"Hey you're catching on to some things," Ted defended her. "And besides I like explaining them to you."

"And you still love me," Andromeda continued, watching him. "Merlin, you want to marry me."

"I was all for trying to forget about the earlier incident."

"Please don't."

"Why?"

"Because I'd be the idiot if I said no." Ted's eyes widened at the same time a grin overtook his face.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," she laughed. "Stupid, amazing idiot that you are, I will marry you." He laughed too, grabbing her suddenly in his arms, taking her a few inches off the ground and kissing her as he let her down again. She looked at him, his eyes now happy, soaking in the sight of him.

"So you really think I'm Marvelman-like?" Andromeda rolled her eyes. "'Cause, you know, I have yet to master that whole super speed thing but I can fly, at least with a broomstick. And I know some potions for the super strength. Not sure about the thunderclap thing, but really, how often does anyone use that anyway?"

"Thunderclap thing?"

"Yeah, well, he's got some pretty amazing powers, let me tell you."

"Right," Andromeda rolled her eyes. "You know, I may never understand some of your childhood fascinations."

"Oh, I've got plenty of time to make you change your mind," Ted said in a low voice as a smile spread across his face, taking Andromeda into his arms again.

"Hm, we'll see about this," she replied, winding her arms around him as her lips met his. She felt her heart beginning to pound faster and faster and she wasn't sure how exactly she ended up with her back to the wall of the alley, Ted's hands sliding from her hair to her shoulders and back, consistently slipping at little lower as her own hands traveled lower and lower on his waist. Slowly she broke away from his mouth. "Let's go."

"Dromeda, you're here on a Hogsmeade weekend," he said breathing hard. "If we go into town everyone will see and-"

"I mean your flat," she replied plainly, her hands held firmly on his hips.

"You're not supposed to leave the town," he said before leaning forward and kissing her again, his hands on her upper arms, tilted towards her torso.

It took a moment for her to break apart from him again. "I'm good at rule breaking. I'm not even supposed to be this far out in Hogsmeade," she said breathily. Ted studied her for a moment, one of his hands cradling her chin before he took her hands in his, apparating to the door of his flat. Andromeda reached her hands back up around his neck as he kissed her hard before fumbling to get the door open. She realized that the door was shut behind them and she wasn't sure who got the door to Ted's bedroom open. What she did know, however, was what happened behind the closed doors.

* * *

"Peanut butter is good."

"Very good," Andromeda agreed spreading some over a piece of bread. Ted grinned at her and then began to tick his fingers on the counter. "What?"

"I want the jar."

"Impatient," Andromeda accused, shaking her head, making sure to take her time smearing it across her bread. Ted reached over to try and take it but quickly she grabbed it and slid it in the crook of her arm, pressed close to her chest.

"Oh you think that's going to stop me?" he asked stretching out his hand further. Andromeda dropped the butter knife she was using and tilted sideways on the stool to get away from him, laughing until she leaned too far and felt herself falling. Ted's hand clamped tightly on her upper arm, steadying her as he slid his other arm around her waist to help her back up, the peanut butter jar clattering to the floor. "You okay?"

She smiled at him. "I'm fine."

"Good," he said, slowly letting go of her and sitting back down. He grabbed his wand from where he had left it on the counter. "Accio peanut butter."

"Jerk."

"Aren't I?" he asked, reaching across and stealing the knife from her. She stuck her tongue out at him and he didn't appear to pay too much attention but she saw his eyes glittering. Slightly annoyed and yet grinning, she began to eat her bread with peanut butter. Ted had plopped on another piece of bread with jelly on it and was now carefully removing the crust of his sandwich. Andromeda raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't like crust," he defended.

"You're supposed to eat them."

"Why?"

"They're the best part for you."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

Andromeda bit her lip in confusion. "I actually don't know."

"Ha! See, it's all a lie to get people to eat their crusts when in all honesty they could just feed them to their owls."

"I thought Pip was out hunting."

"She is."

"So why would she want your bread crusts if she's busy finding her food?" Ted glared at her. "What?"

"You're ruining my moment of defiance."

"Who are you defying?"

"Today? The world."

"The whole world?"

"Well parts of it," he decided, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

"You smell like peanuts." Ted rolled his eyes. "You mean your mother?"

"Yes."

"She- I mean she won't be too mad, right? I don't want her to hate me."

"Na, she won't. I'm going to get lectured at some point, no doubt about that," he snorted. "I mean trust me, the moment I see her again, she'll know."

"Are you sure your mother's not a witch?" Andromeda chuckled.

"Well I have to have gotten it somewhere," he shrugged. He smiled at her. "But no, she's not. Couldn't 'transfigure a tea bag'. And she'll get over it. Probably take it as more my fault than yours." Andromeda snorted as Ted picked up the peanut butter jar and got up, heading for the cupboard.

"And we're getting married anyway," Andromeda added. Ted opened the cupboard but she saw him smile.

"Yeah. That'll help our case as well," he said quietly. He turned around and looked at her before laughing. "And I thought I was the slob," he commented, getting up and heading toward a cupboard.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked looking over the island counter at him, her eyes narrowed in a playful glare. Ted turned around and grinned at her, leaning on the counter to get close to her.

"You managed to get peanut butter on your nose somehow," he told her before pulling back and slipping into the cupboard, pulling out a pair of glasses. He slid one across the counter at her and then set the other one down, heading for another cupboard. Andromeda glanced up at him as she wiped at her nose.

"Have I got it?" she asked him as he set a jug of milk down on the table. He shook his head as he slipped back around the counter, standing beside her. She turned to face him as he laid his index finger on her nose, wiping it away. Andromeda grinned at him and tilted her head up, stretching her neck as he leaned down, one of his hands coming to rest on the stool, the other on her upper leg.

"Whoa, not exactly what a guy wants to walk in and see." Ted slipped back quickly as Andromeda felt herself turning red. Ted was pink as he slid in front of Andromeda and faced his roommate.

"I thought you weren't going to back until eight or so."

"I'm just stopping by to grab a new set of robes. Would you ever guess how disgusting books can be? We have a new one that spurts green goop at you if you don't open it just right." Brian sighed then smirked. "Although apparently you two had the same problem. That's the only reason I know of why you would be sitting around the kitchen in your underwear." Brian laughed as he headed into his room. "Nice seeing you Andromeda."

"I'm going to kill my roommate," Ted growled.

"Don't kill him," Andromeda suggested. "Just cover the rest of his robes in green goop when he heads back to work."

"I like that idea," Ted said distantly as Andromeda slid down from the stool and headed into Ted's room, grabbing her robe. He walked in after her and sat down on the bed.

"You're sure that's yours and not mine?"

"Yes," she said, beginning to button it. "That was your fault last time," she reminded him, leaning forward and kissing him lightly. Ted sighed as he got to his feet.

"You should probably get back to school."

"Most likely."

"So we should do this again sometime," he told her with a grin.

"Mmm, minus the Brian part."

"I could agree to skip that too."

"Well, there's always break coming up," she told him with a smile. He smiled back.

"Should be a fun break."

**I warned you all! Pure sappy fluff! Very fluffy! And no, I don't write lemon-ness. At all. I would be very bad at it and therefore, I don't write it.**

**Sorry this chapter is a little lame (or at least I think it is). The beginning part is actually salvaged from the first version of this where I completely skipped Andromeda's sixth year, Bellatrix wasn't nearly as hateable until the very end, and Narcissa was really, really just an airhead. But I liked the part with Andromeda healing Ted's arm so I kept it but changed the context.**

**Oh, and the Kid Marvelman guy, I don't own him. Someone else, some company does. And Ted's mother is not a witch. She just has a gift. And now I am wondering if it would be funny if Teddy Lupin had the same thing… Being around all those Weasleys… He, he, he. Okay, I will now end this incredibly rambling author's note. Have a good day!**


	34. Part 3: Chapter 7

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_November 1970_

Andromeda sat on her bed, writing a letter as cold rain pelted down outside. A fire was roaring in the seventh years' dormitory and, she had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. There were definitely times when she hated November. On the other hand, it felt good to be curled up and alone. She paused in her writing, touching the feather end of her quill to her bottom lip as she let her mind wander for a moment. A light smirk came to her face before she quickly wrote a post script and put down her quill on the nightstand. Reluctantly, she pulled herself out from under the blanket and got off her bed, folding her letter as she headed toward her trunk to find an envelope. Sadly, she didn't think she could mail her letter right now. She would have to wait until the rain ceased. Pip was hanging out in the owlry, and she would take to 'accidentally' poking holes in Andromeda's letters from Ted if she got sent out in the rain, even with a water repelling charm. Andromeda had learned her lesson quickly on that account.

"You're writing to that boy again?" Narcissa asked quietly from the doorway. Andromeda looked up, startled.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Not too long. You just have a very strange look on your face," Narcissa informed her, walking in to the room, her eyes looking about the room. "Like you're thinking of all the things you could be doing if you weren't stuck here."

"That's one way of putting it," Andromeda snorted.

"I don't want to know," she said dully as she paused in front of the fire. Andromeda put her letter down on the small table by her bed, slipping a book over it, and then walked over towards her sister.

"What's going on, Cissy?"

"I thought you were staying here over the holidays."

"I am."

"Your name wasn't on the list Slughorn passed around."

"I haven't signed up yet."

"You're going to spend the holiday with him, aren't you?"

Andromeda sighed. "Yes."

"I figured as much."

"Is that all?" Andromeda asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Narcissa broke the eye contact and stared into the fire.

"I'm going to spend the holiday with Lucius. Well, at least during the day."

"Oh?" Andromeda replied, not quite sure what her sister wanted to hear.

"We've been talking lately."

"I've noticed."

"You don't like him."

"I don't dislike him. I don't think he completely knows what he's doing. I think he's trying to cover up how scared he is by being arrogant and flippant about everything that's going on. I don't think he's made a good choice."

"No, I don't either. At least I think we're talking about the same thing, aren't we? You know he's- he's-"

"Serving the 'Dark Lord'?"

Narcissa snorted. "That's one way of saying it."

"Best way I can think of," Andromeda agreed. Suddenly she turned and walked over towards her bed, sitting down on it, tired of standing. Narcissa slowly followed.

"I think he might fall in love with me."

"Lucius?"

"Yes." The conversation paused and Andromeda looked up to see Narcissa staring at her as if waiting for an answer. "What?"

"I just figured you'd have an opinion on that."

"I do."

"I'm all ears."

"I have two actually."

"Dying to hear them," Narcissa replied dryly.

"You're looking for someone to argue with?"

"Possibly."

"Fine, pick a side you want to argue. That I think it's a good thing because I think you'll be happier with someone to love you or I think it's a bad thing because I think the more attached you are to this war, the more likely you are to get hurt."

"Maybe I don't really want to argue," Narcissa sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Cissy, what's wrong?" Andromeda asked, scooting closer to her.

"I don't want to go home," she said softly, her voice cracking as if she were near tears.

"Cissy," Andromeda started and then shut her mouth, not sure what to say.

"Bella scares me and you're- you're not even going to be there and I don't want to be there when you're not there. And that's the way it's going to be isn't it?" Tears began to fall from her eyes and she pushed them away with the sleeve of her robe. "I won't have Bella back for a long time, if ever and- and- I'm going to lose you. You're leaving me all alone."

"There're Sirius and Regulus," Andromeda suggested hopelessly.

"They're not there most of the time. They're at their house. And they're just little boys."

"They're going to grow up. Sirius will be at Hogwarts next year and Regulus the year after that," Andromeda told her. Narcissa blinked heavily and looked down at her hands, stretching her legs out more. Her shoulders slumped down.

"How do I know they're not going to leave me too?" she said quietly. "Who's going to let them just sit around? They would have let you. You could have stayed with me."

"I'm going to leave, Cissy, you know that."

"I know," Narcissa sighed. She looked up again. "But I can pretend can't I? Pretend that it would have been okay. That everything would have been alright if it weren't for this war."

"I think it would have been," Andromeda agreed. "At least for you."

"I don't need you to pretend with me," Narcissa snarled.

"I'm not. Look, I know you probably don't want to hear this but Ted's actually the one who pointed this out to me. Bella and I, we were so close, you know that. But when she started following the You-Know-Who she became someone else. And because she became someone else, and I didn't have her anymore, I became someone else too. If it weren't for the war, Bella never would have changed enough to be gone, I would never have changed enough to like Ted, you would never have to be alone."

"That's not entirely comforting."

"I guess not. I'm sorry."

"Maybe he's not entirely stupid though, this Ted guy."

Andromeda smiled. "No, he's not."

"Even if he can't put-out." Andromeda raised her eyebrows and looked up as though she suddenly found the ceiling quite fascinating. "Oh, Andromeda you didn't!"

"About a month ago." Narcissa sighed, a sour look on her face. "We're engaged too."

"Sickeningly cute," Narcissa replied dryly her face still twisted in disgust. "Tell me did you blow him away in bed so much that mid-way through he proposed?"

"Cissy!"

"It is true?"

"No, actually it's not. We were engaged first."

"Startling. You really aren't a Black are you?" Andromeda sighed as she got off her bed, deciding to find a warmer pair of socks in her wardrobe. At least it would give her some excuse to walk away from Narcissa. "So you're going to be a Tonks? What kind of name is that for you? Andromeda Tonks. Stupid sort of name, isn't it?"

"Oh-no, I've never thought of that. I guess I'm going to have to call it off now," she answered sarcastically.

"Nothing will ever go with it. Even simple common names. Jane Tonks. There's just no ring to it."

"There are plenty of names that go with Tonks. He has a sister named Katherine."

"Well, Tonks certainly doesn't sound good enough for you."

"That's possibly very nice of you." Narcissa sighed again, staring over at the dripping window. "He really is a nice guy, Ted. He loves me. Really does. Doesn't want me to change."

"He just wants you to leave us," she said bitterly looking back at Andromeda.

"I don't have to leave _you_, you know. You could come and visit me. You're your own person. You aren't the family."

"No."

"So that's just it? Bottom line? I'm never going to get to see you again?"

"That's your choice. I have a feeling you're not about to reconsider that either," Narcissa told her. She stood up, her eyes focusing on Andromeda again. "He's not good enough for you."

"I'm just a blood-traitor Cissy."

"He still isn't. Nobody is. You could have had anyone. Why did it have to be him?"

"I couldn't have had anyone. I'm not beauty like you or a wonder like Bella. And you know that he's not the only reason I'm leaving."

"No, but maybe you could have married someone respectable and then talked them into letting you be a healer."

"I know."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because I don't want anyone I can just talk into something. I want someone to love, same as you."

"You could make someone love you."

"It's not the same as loving someone else."

"No, it's better. All the benefits; none of the pain."

"Cissy, it's not-"

"I don't want to get hurt anymore."

"I know you got hurt with Aias but-"

"That's not it Andromeda, at least not all of it. Aias isn't the only way it hurts," she replied. Narcissa took a deep breath and turned towards the door to leave.

"You aren't going to be able to," Andromeda told her.

"What?"

"You're still going to love people, no matter how hard you don't want to. I know you Cissy."

"I thought I knew you."

"You did. That's why you weren't as surprised as everyone else."

Narcissa sighed and Andromeda watched her leave without answering. She stood there for a moment before finally putting on the pair of socks she had fished out of her trunk and lying back on the bed. She looked up again when she heard soft footsteps and saw Francis coming into the room. She smiled lightly at her.

"How was Charms Club?"

"Good," Francis said with a grin as she came and sat down on the bed. "Did you know Howard Grimm is awfully cute?"

"Howard Grimm? No I'm afraid I haven't met him," Andromeda said, managing a bright smile. Francis giggled and looked down shyly.

"Well he is. Very cute."

"Did you talk to him at all?"

"Well a little but not much."

"Were you quiet the whole time again?" Andromeda asked, sitting up and leaning against her pillows.

"No I talked to Alice."

"Hale?"

"Yeah. We used to be pretty good friends, did I ever tell you that?"

"I think you mentioned it."

"She's been my neighbor since I was two."

"I see."

"She's dating someone now."

"Oh?"

"Frank is insanely jealous."

"I can imagine."

"They're going to end up together though."

"You think everyone's going to end up together."

"They are though. Frank can be arrogant and Alice knows how to take him down a peg."

"I still say you're just trying to match up everyone."

"I am not."

"Maybe I should try matching you up with Howard Grimm and see how you like it."

"I would appreciate that very much," she giggled and Andromeda shook her head at her before reaching over the side of her bed to grab her essay she had been working on for Charms. Francis's giggling subsided as she began to tell Andromeda what had happened in Charms Club, including details of how cute Howard was. Andromeda smiled. It was nice to have a conversation about a crush that would most likely never offend or especially please a family member.

Francis stayed in the seventh year dormitory until the first of Andromeda's roommates came. Not long after Andromeda went to bed, falling asleep listening to the patter of the rain and crackle of the fire. Her brain began to stir. Bella, the man in the shadows, Rodolphus, dead Ted, Narcissa hurt, her hand on her side. "And you helped. Annie you helped!" Naricssa shouted right before Andromeda woke with a start to a dark room, all her dormmates sleeping. Outside, the rain had stopped. She tried to go back to sleep but her stomach was tossing and turning; she couldn't do it. Finally she got up, pulling on a bathrobe and grabbing her letter from the table by her nightstand as she left the room, heading down the stairs to the empty common room. Quietly, she slid through the stone wall that led out into the school and walked down the hallway, heading up the many stairs to the owlry, her ears alert for noises that she never heard. She walked into the west tower and saw Pip perched nearby; thankfully, she had not gone out hunting.

"Hey girl," Andromeda told her quietly. Pip flew towards her and let Andromeda stroke her head. "You mind going home with a letter?" Pip hooted and took the letter in her beak, taking off into the night.

"I don't believe that's your owl, Ms. Black," someone said suddenly and Andromeda nearly jumped out of her skin, her eyes falling on Professor Dumbledore. He smiled at her, not unkindly. "I could be wrong, but I do believe I've seen your sister sending letters with a large black owl, and I have never seen either of you get letters from this owl."

"She's new, Professor," Andromeda explained nervously.

"Ah, that explains it then. What I don't understand is why you're up at this hour of the morning to mail a letter to home."

"I'm sorry Professor. I shouldn't be up. I- I just suddenly woke up and realized that tomorrow was my mother's birthday and I know I won't have time to write her tomorrow and I really ought to send her something. I couldn't go to sleep again until I had," she replied, her eyes watching the headmaster carefully. He seemed to be studying her. "I can get back to my dormitory," she said quickly, heading for the door.

"Where have you been going Andromeda?" he asked, his voice sounding deeper than it had before. She froze in the doorway. "I'm glad I happened to be up late and needing to send an owl to the Ministry. I hope that you know your disappearances have not gone unnoticed."

"What disappearances?" she asked, not turning around, afraid her face would betray her.

"You should know that you are being watched. Your family makes you of high interest to the Ministry and others fighting against Voldemort in these dark times."

"They would do better to invest their energy elsewhere," Andromeda replied. She took a deep breath and turned around. "I'm no Death Eater."

"Perhaps you are meeting one."

"No."

"Not even your sister?"

"You don't know my sister is a Death Eater."

"Do you?" Andromeda looked away. "Ah, but how could you miss it?"

"What is it you want me to say?" she asked in a whisper.

"I would prefer the truth. Where have you been going?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I prefer to know the difference between my enemies and my allies."

"I am neither." She felt Dumbledore studying her again.

"Who were you writing to?"

"My mother."

"Who are you going to see?"

"No one."

"Why did you leave Hogsmeade during the last trip?"

"I didn't."

"You were nowhere to be found by anyone. No one saw you in any of the shops. Both your sister and Francis Longbottom were seen without you, and no one has observed you to have a close acquaintanceship with anyone else who would have gone to Hogsmeade. However, your name was on the list of students who went and students who came back. Where could you have possibly gone?" Andromeda stood still, not answering, her eyes not meeting the headmaster's. He looked down on her for a moment before looking at the window. "Ah, the return to my owl," he said, seeing a dark shape flying towards the window. Andromeda took note of his lack of attention and slipped through the door.

"Ms. Black," he called after a moment, walking after her. "I believe this is your letter," he told her, handing her a small piece of paper with a quick note scrawled on it, Ted's writing. She could recognize it without even really looking at it. She felt the headmaster's eyes on her again. "I am sorry for my accusations. I beg that you forgive me." She felt herself beginning to tremble as he looked at her closely one last time. "Now, I must go wait for my own owl. Excuse me. I will not give you detention for being up and awake. I hardly think a nightmare is good cause for punishment." Andromeda stared after him for a moment before opening her hand to look at the note, not even folded.

_Dromeda, I'll write you back better tomorrow. I know you had that nightmare again. You wouldn't be up now if you hadn't. Go find that really fluffy book I know you have but won't admit to and read until you're tired again. It'll be okay. It was just a dream; Narcissa's fine. I love you._

She looked last at his signature, loopy but easily readable. Ted Tonks. She glanced back at the owlry to see the tall figure of Professor Dumbledore looking out the window and she bit her lip before hurrying away, not sure if she should be mad or glad that the headmaster knew she was as far from a Death Eater as a Black had ever yet been.

**Yes, rather random pieces in this chapter. The part with Francis wasn't necessarily really but I thought Andromeda needed at least one relationship that wasn't quite so high on drama. Next chapter is Andromeda with the Tonkses. He, he.**


	35. Part 3: Chapter 8

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_December 1970_

"Seriously, you have seen the dirt haven't you?"

"Hm?" Andromeda asked as she looked around the room.

"Ted, he's always covered in dirt."

"He's not covered," Andromeda replied.

"And he leaves his laundry everywhere."

"I've seen his room." Kitty giggled.

"Of course you have. And do you know he never cleans up in the kitchen? He can cook, like surprisingly well but he never cleans up."

"Well, I can't cook all that well but I've mastered some cleaning spells so I'd say we're pretty even there."

"But he's gross!" Kitty laughed falling down on to her bed. Andromeda couldn't help but smile. Kitty rolled over on her stomach to look at Andromeda, her eyes, the same bright blue as Ted's, were glittering. "I like you, but you're insane for liking my brother, you do know that right?"

"You have no idea," Andromeda agreed.

"Oh, now we're getting down to the good stuff." Andromeda rolled her eyes as she sat down in the chair next to Kitty's closet. "Come on!" Kitty whined, getting up and heading over to the chair. She grabbed Andromeda's wrists and began dragging her towards the bed. "Ted won't tell me anything," she pouted as she dropped down on the bed, her legs crossed and her eyes wide. Andromeda's legs were hanging off the edge and she turned her head to face Kitty. "I mean I've known for ages that there's like, some forbidden element to all this which is _so_ romantic but he won't tell me anything! Stupid boys! I wish I'd only had sisters. Then again, Lisa doesn't tell me much sometimes either. Depends on her mood. Please?" she pleaded.

"You are persistent, aren't you?" Ted asked, appearing at the doorway. "You already know Mum decided to have her sleep in your room while we're here but already you're starting to pound her for information." Andromeda looked up and him and smiled before slipping off the bed. "I'm desperately sorry about my baby sister," he said, his eyes fixed on Kitty. She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

"I thought for sure Mum was going to hammer into you for a while."

"Marianne saved me," Ted said, putting his arms around Andromeda's waist as she leaned into him. "Started talking about what she and Jordan are thinking of naming the next one. I'm going to have to thank her for that."

"Oh, yes you are," came a deeper voice. Andromeda craned her neck to see Ted's older brother, Richard standing in the hallway. Ted let go of Andromeda's waist and stepped to the side to let him into the room. Andromeda went right back to leaning against him and he showed no signs of objecting. Richard was taller than Ted, the tallest one in the family, with the same blonde hair. His daughter Mily was squirming as he held her on his hip. "At least I'm assuming what kind of talk you were going to get," he said thoughtfully, looking past Ted and Andromeda to Kitty. She nodded.

"Thanks Kit," Ted said dryly.

"I'm sorry," she replied indifferently.

"What?" Andromeda asked, looking back and forth between Ted and his two siblings.

"Did I ever tell you that Kitty has the same gift as my mother?" he growled, glaring at his little sister.

"You're in for a chat with Dad if Marianne and I can't save you," Richard informed him as he put Mily down on the ground. She went running forward toward Kitty's nightstand where she had spotted a necklace that Kitty had placed there. Kitty grabbed her niece before she reached it and pulled her on to the bed with her, tickling her stomach.

"What kind of chat?" Kitty asked.

"Not fit for young ears I'm assuming," Ted replied as Richard turned a rather pink shade. Kitty put her hands over Mily's ears.

"Now if we could only get Andromeda to cover your ears, Kitty," Richard told her.

"She's only a year older than Kitty," Ted informed him.

"Well, apparently she's no longer on the same innocence level as Kitty, now is she?" he asked, looking at his younger brother knowingly. Kitty began to laugh as Ted glared at his brother. Andromeda felt heat beginning to crawl up her face making her red, and she pulled away from Ted, leaning instead against the wall next to him.

"I think that's your proof, Richard!" Kitty laughed, pointing at Andromeda.

"What are we talking about?" Marianne asked squeezing into the room past Richard. "Why is she all red?" she questioned Kitty, glancing at Andromeda. Ted glared more. Kitty continued to laugh.

"We were talking about how you saved Ted for the time being," Richard explained. Marianne laughed and turned to Ted.

"Ah, ickle Teddy is no longer on the virgin train," she laughed, tweaking his nose.

"Oh shut-up," he said, finally turning a bright color of red. Andromeda looked intently at her shoes. Come to think of it, her feet looked funny. She wasn't at all used to wearing muggle clothes and it seemed funny to see her legs in a pair of pants.

"Megan said to tell you that she was just on the phone with her parents and she wants to talk to you about when you're leaving for their house." Richard nodded and then walked over to the bed, scooping up Mily.

"Come on Mily, let's go see what your mother's up to, shall we?" he asked, setting her on his hip again. "And take it easy Marianne. No need to get into your usually busy-body ways."

"I'm fine and I am not a busy body!" she yelped through the doorway after her older brother, her hand resting on her protruding stomach. She followed after Richard, leaving Kitty, Andromeda, and Ted alone again.

"So back to my question. Won't you tell me what's going on?" Kitty started again.

"You know, Richard is wrong. You're the busy-body of the family, not Marianne," Ted told her, walking forward and collapsing in the chair. Kitty rolled her eyes.

"I know something's going on. There's like a total Romeo and Juliet thing going on here and I wanted to know what it is!"

"I assure you neither of us is about to commit suicide," Ted told her.

"I don't know. Once it really sinks in how much of a slob you are, Andromeda might," Kitty bit back. Andromeda snorted. "Come sit down. You don't have to stand against the wall you know," Kitty directed her, patting the bed next to her. Andromeda shrugged and went to go sit down on the bed.

"Besides, she's already realized my sloppiness. I think the first thing she noticed about me was the dirt under my fingernails. Seemed to think lowly of me for some reason."

"Oh don't bring that up," Andromeda groaned.

"No, go on, are you finally going to spill something Ted?" Kitty asked eagerly. He smirked at his little sister and then got up from the chair.

"Come downstairs with me please. I don't think my parents will attack me with you right there. At least I'm hoping not," he said almost as an afterthought. Andromeda couldn't help but chuckle a little as she got up and walked over to Ted, slipping her hand into his. Kitty followed after them, still attempting to pull answers them, laughing whenever she thought she was stumbling on something. Andromeda blinked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. In the corner of the bend in the stairs, she spotted Richard's wife standing by a small table, talking to herself. Trying to be subtle, she tugged on Ted's hand and tilted her head towards his ear.

"Is that normal for her?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the table. Ted laughed loudly, making Kitty and Marianne both look over.

"It's a telephone Dromeda," he told her. Andromeda stared at him blankly. "Like Floo only you can't see the other person, just hear them," he said quietly. Ted's brother and sister-in-law were not supposed to know what exactly was peculiar about their spouses' younger brother. The Ministry only allowed for people to tell their direct family.

"So she's talking to someone?" Andromeda asked, studying Mily's mother carefully. The young woman looked back at her, gave her a confused look and turned around, playing with a spirally cord attached to a flattened u-shape she was using to talk.

"Yes," Ted answered as Kitty began to laugh.

"You've never used a telephone?" she asked in surprise. Andromeda shook her head. "You're family is strange then. You don't have any people who aren't, you know, like you and Ted?" she questioned. Again, Andromeda shook her head. Ted snorted.

"They'd be booted off the tree now, wouldn't they?" he said lowly. Andromeda debated stomping on his foot but then, she figured he was right.

"Booted off the tree?" Kitty asked thoughtfully. "Wait, your little brother, he said something about our 'funny clothes' and, what was it he called us? Swamp monsters or something of the sort."

Andromeda gave her a confused look. "I don't have a little brother and I don't know any secret meaning to swamp monsters."

"Well, he looked like he could be your little brother. Much younger. Black hair, very similar face, grey eyes. Last year when I got Ted to take me to that store."

"Regulus is her cousin," Ted said, grabbing Andromeda's hand again and tugging her toward the couch. "Come on, let's get away from Ms. Katherine over here."

"Wait a minute," Kitty proclaimed, following after them. "Ted didn't you say once that some people like you didn't like you because you were a muggle-born?" she asked. Andromeda noticed across the room that Ted's mother was watching them closely.

"Did I?" he asked absently.

"Your family is like that, isn't it?" she questioned Andromeda. "They don't like us."

"Yes," she said firmly, looking down at her feet.

"But you do?"

"Yes."

"But you did think like them."

"Kitty, bug off," Ted directed.

"No," she told him. "Did you?" she asked Andromeda again.

"Mum, tell Kitty to leave us alone, please," Ted growled, looking over at his mother. Kitty began to stick her tongue out at him when their mother shook her head.

"You're apparently grown up enough to deal with the issue by yourself Ted," his mother told him.

"Ha, ha," Kitty said, smiling widely.

"On the other hand, Kitty, there's laundry calling your name in the washer you should take care of before interrogating your brother." Kitty's shoulders slumped.

"Mum-" she started.

"Katherine," her father said warningly. With a huff, Kitty set off through the open doorway to the kitchen.

"Where did Richard disappear off to?" Ted asked his eyes focused on Kitty's retreating back.

"He's outside with the kids," Marianne answered.

Ted turned towards the front door where there was a closet containing coats. "Want to go outside?" he asked quickly, already halfway to get his coat. Andromeda fought not to laugh before she nodded and walked after him. Ted searched in the closet for a moment before handing her a thick jacket that was not hers. She stared at it for a moment before taking it, pulling her mittens and hat out of her cloak in the closet. Ted quickly pulled another coat out and began pulling it on himself. "Marianne, Andromeda's stealing your jacket, okay?" he called out to his sister.

"Fine by me!" she called back.

"Honestly, you're right across the room from each other," their mother said with a laugh. "You could actually go and ask."

"Could but what fun is that?" Ted asked, coming back around the corner and leaning down towards the couch to kiss his mother on the cheek.

"Hat Ted. Your ears will freeze."

"All the better. I won't be able to hear Kitty now that she has your permission to bug us," he replied cheekily.

"Andromeda, will you at least have the sense to wear a hat?" his mother sighed.

"Are you kidding? You put her in the same room as Kitty. She's really not going to want to hear at all," Ted laughed.

"I have one, Mrs. Tonks," Andromeda assured her.

"It's Susan," she replied kindly.

Cold and wet, Andromeda walked back inside with Mily half an hour later, snow in her hair from after Ted had stolen her hat "for her own protection". Richard had gone inside a while after they'd come out because he was freezing. Some how or another, Andromeda had found herself in a snowball fight against Ted and the older of his two nephews, Marianne's son, Calvin. The younger one, Brad, also Marianne's son, had been on her team along with Mily. Needless to say, Ted had taken to not hitting his niece and nephew and had instead chased Andromeda around with a snowball in hand, occasionally letting Mily or Brad hit him. They younger two had gone into peals of laughter seeing him faint to the ground when he hit them with a snowball. Eventually Brad and Mily had gotten cold and Andromeda had volunteered to bring them in, letting team Ted and Calvin turn on each other. Calvin's happy shrieks could be occasionally heard from the backyard.

Only Marianne and Lisa were in the living room when Andromeda entered, carrying Mily with Brad tagging along behind her. Since she saw no sign of Ted's brother- or sister-in-law, she pulled her wand out of her pocket and placed her finger to her lip after she put Mily down on the ground. Mily repeated the gesture with wide eyes before Andromeda took her wand and ran it down Mily's side, drying off the little girl. "Me too! Me too!" Brad exclaimed watching his cousin eagerly. Andromeda laughed and turned to Brad, drying him off as well, while Marianne got up and walked over towards them.

"Now that's nifty," she said thoughtfully as Andromeda finished with Brad.

"Mum, Mum did you see that? Now I'm all dry," he proclaimed as Andromeda began to dry off herself.

"Yeah, I did see," Marianne laughed, tugging off his hat and ruffling his brown hair. "Wish I could learn that trick. It would come in useful."

"I didn't think you were supposed to use it around us," Lisa said guardedly. Andromeda looked over at the couches to see that Lisa was now standing beside them.

"I can around you."

"I thought it was against your laws."

"Oh, relax, Lisa," Marianne interrupted. "Mily and Brad are hardly about to remember. I still think it's a nice trick to know."

"Where did everyone go?" Andromeda asked.

"Kitty dragged Dad, Richard, and his wife with her to a church service where one of her friends is playing flute. Mum is in the kitchen and Jordan wandered off somewhere in the house."

"Can't even keep track of your own husband," Lisa chuckled dryly as she sat down on the couch.

"I know he's in the house," Marianne defended, rolling her eyes.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Daddy!" Brad said suddenly, walking over to the stairs where a brown-haired man had just appeared.

"Yes," Marianne answered. Lisa shook her head as she picked up a copy of the newspaper.

"Did you have fun outside?" Jordan asked his younger son.

"Yeah, I hit Uncle Ted with a snowball," Brad told him, launching into a story.

"Good boy," Susan snorted in the doorway of the kitchen as Andromeda put Marianne's coat in the closet. "Ted could use a nick to his ego." Andromeda smiled as she put her mittens and hat back into the pocket of her cloak, still hanging in the closet where she'd put it that morning when they'd gotten there. "Andromeda could you come in here and help me?"

"Sure," she agreed. "Although I probably won't be much help."

"I'm sure you'll be plenty of help," Susan replied quickly. Andromeda caught a look of amusement passing between Marianne and Lisa and suddenly felt a bit more nervous. She closed the closet and walked through the door into the kitchen. "You look frightened for some reason," Susan laughed. "I promise I don't bite."

"Sorry," Andromeda said quickly.

"Don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry about," she replied. "Now, you're taller than I am. Can you reach that cupboard?" she asked, pointing to it.

"This one?" Andromeda asked, walking over and putting her hand on the knob.

"Yes, the rectangular pan with the tall sides please," she said, turning her attention to the stove. Andromeda pulled it down and shut the cupboard again.

"Where did you want it?"

"Over on the table there," she said, nodding her head towards the kitchen table. Andromeda noticed there were bags of things like flour spread out along the table. "You are tall. Normally I have to get Benjamin, Richard, or Ted to get those down for me. You have to be close to Ted's height, aren't you?"

"I think it's within quarter of an inch," Andromeda replied, setting the pan down.

"Are you the tallest girl in your family then?" Andromeda shook her head and then realized that Ted's mother wasn't facing her.

"No. I'm fairly average. My aunt and my sister are both taller than I am."

"You have a sister then?"

"Two. Bellatrix is older and Narcissa is younger."

"You're right in the middle then," Susan observed, turning around and heading towards a tall box with two doors.

"Mmm," Andromeda acknowledged, listening hard for Ted, not really wanting to go too deeply into the topic of her sisters.

"I'm sure they miss you terribly if you're staying with us over the holidays," she commented, opening the larger of the two doors, the bottom one and pulling out a stick of butter. Andromeda leaned against the table, biting her lip, not really sure what to do.

"Oh, I doubt it. Cissy- Narcissa, she's got plans with her friends most of the break and Bellatrix is almost always busy, especially since she graduated a couple years ago."

"She was in Ted's year then?" Ted's mum asked, turning her back as she cut a chunk off the butter.

"Yes. Different house though."

"Is that how you met? Through your sister? Ted never seems to tell us enough about his school."

Andromeda laughed a little at the idea. "No. We had prefect duty together. We fought with each other a lot actually."

"Good. Ted has a tendency to be a bit aloof. I'm glad you're not afraid to take him down a peg or two." Andromeda smiled.

"I think there're quite a few people who would say the same thing about me."

"Ah, well then perhaps match made in heaven," Susan chuckled lightly. It seemed a little forced. Andromeda watched as she stirred the chunk of butter around in a pan on the stove. "Would you put this back in the refrigerator for me?" she requested, picking up the remaining butter on one hand and then putting it back down. Andromeda nodded as she walked forward, trying to submit the word refrigerator to memory. "You know, I do like you Andromeda, from the time I've met you before, but I must admit you're a mystery to me. I can't understand why your parents wouldn't want you home at all, why they're apparently so in the dark. You're not much older than Kitty and I certainly can't imagine her being engaged to someone I hadn't met or spending Christmas away from home."

"My parents have never cared too much about the holidays," Andromeda answered as simply as possible, putting her hand on the handle of the refrigerator. She pulled it open and then jumped back, letting it slam. "That's cold!" Susan began to laugh.

"You really aren't used to any appliances, are you?" Andromeda shook her head. "It keeps food cold so it doesn't go bad."

"Oh."

Susan shook her head, her eyes twinkling. "Your family is all wizards and witches, isn't it?"

"Yes," she replied simply as she cautiously opened the refrigerator door again. Quickly she put the butter on one of the shelves and shut the door. Then she stared at it questioningly. "Does the light ever turn off?"

Ted's mother chuckled. "Our world must seem as confusing to you as yours does to us."

"I guess so." Susan passed over a bowl with a soft, tan mixture in it.

"Could you stir this for me?" she asked, handing over a large spoon as well. Andromeda nodded as she began to mix it more. Susan cracked an egg into it and then went back to whatever she was making on the stove. "It is very confusing you know."

"I'd imagine," Andromeda agreed.

"It's very strange to watch your little boy, who admittedly, strange things have always happened around, suddenly join a world you can't be a part of at the age of eleven. I'm proud of him for managing to learn how to adjust, to find a job he loves, someone he wants to marry, but I can't understand it. I'm glad he found you but there's a part of me that wishes he hadn't."

"I'm sorry?" Andromeda said in confusion.

"No, don't be sorry. I rather like you Andromeda." Susan stopped and stepped toward her. Andromeda stopped stirring the tan mixture, turning to face Ted's mother. "And I'm glad he loves you and that you love him. He's happy with you, very much in love, and you as a person I'm very glad he's with. But I can't help wishing that you had been like us, no magic. Perhaps I could have understood him better then."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't either," Andromeda sighed.

"There's something more about your family, isn't there? Kitty was getting to it. She has a way of doing that sometimes."

"My family doesn't like muggles," Andromeda answered.

"Doesn't like as in they're as confused about the 'muggle' world as I am about the magic one or doesn't like as in they would be bad at you if they knew you were here."

"My parents would be infuriated if they knew I had ever been in a muggle house. My parents would be infuriated if they knew a lot of things about me."

"You're not over-exaggerating, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Little boys don't tend to help support an exaggeration like that. Kitty told me what happened with your cousin. What is it he called them?" Andromeda shook a little.

"Mud-blood. He doesn't know any better. He doesn't know it's-"

"Mud-blood is insulting then?"

"Yes, very. It's another word for a muggle-born witch or wizard. I didn't even realize it was so bad myself until- until-"

"Until you met Ted."

"Until I got to know him."

"It's very brave of you to go against them if the roots of this are that deep."

"I'm not brave. I just made different friends."

"You are brave. You're here braving refrigerators when you could be listening to what you've been told all along."

"You know more than you're owning up to."

"I admit I've listened in to some of Ted's conversations with his friends over the years. I've heard of a Bellatrix. It's not a terribly common name. I'm assuming it's the same one?"

"Yes. I'm guessing you haven't heard anything good."

"I'm afraid not." Andromeda sighed and looked away. She felt light, soft fingers on her chin, drawing her eyes towards Ted's mother's, soft, kind, hazel colored eyes. She slowly dropped her hand as she began to speak again. "But I do know that I've heard wonderful things about you from Ted. I know he loves you more than he's ever loved anyone, and he's always been a pretty loving boy so that's saying something. I know that the couple of times I've met you, you've been kind and polite though admittedly, a good deal confused my most of the objects in the house. I know enough to know you are nothing like the Bellatrix I've heard about. I know you are very brave."

"I'm not that brave."

"You are brave. It's terrifying to let yourself see a world different from your own and I'd imagine even more so when you're doing something your family would be so mad at you for. Still, there's a part of me that wishes Ted hadn't gotten into such a complicated affair. I'm very glad he's with you, but he's always my little boy and it scares me to think of what he's gotten himself into. Do you understand at all, or am I just babbling?" she asked with a smile.

"You're okay with this but you wish it was simpler?"

"Yes, you do have it. And I dare say you'll understand more soon enough," she sighed, reaching out and touching Andromeda's shoulder lightly, studying her for a moment then turning back to the stove. "Hm, could you add another oh, fourth of a cup of flour to that? Measuring cups are in that drawer," she pointed, "and flour's on the table."

"Sure," she agreed as Ted came walking into the room. He grinned at her.

"You owe me."

"Why is that?"

"Marianne found out there's a spell to dry people off because of you. She pulled me out of the room, away from Jordan, just so she could get me to dry off Calvin."

"You could have volunteered," his mother laughed as Ted pulled his wand out of his pocket and began to dry himself off as he looked over the table.

"You want me to make bread?"

"Yes. You know some spell to make it rise faster I'm assuming."

"And what if you had been wrong?"

"Then bread is equally good for breakfast as for dinner." Ted laughed as Andromeda dropped the flour into the mixture and began to stir.

"You've already got her working?"

"I wanted to have a chat with her. I hardly know her."

"Dromeda, I'm so sorry. Forgive me for my mother," Ted said. His mother stuck her tongue out at him. "I thought you were supposed to be mature!"

"I must have missed the memo that mother's are supposed to be mature. Although apparently so did you up until this moment." Ted rolled his eyes good-humoredly and smiled. Andromeda couldn't help but grin over at him too.

**Fairly light chapter. Long, light fluffy chapter. Normally I aim for 2,000 to 3,000 words. This one is over 4,000. Next one, err, not so fluffy. I guess I've gotten into sort of a pattern, huh? Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Just in case anyone got confused, cause I know I name a lot of people in this chapter, Ted's family is:**

**Parents: Benjamin and Susan**

**Oldest: Richard, his wife Megan, and their daughter Emily (Mily)**

**2nd Oldest: Marianne, her husband Jordan, their two sons, Calvin and Brad, and a third little boy she's about six months pregnant with.**

**Middle: Lisa**

**(Theodore, Ted)**

**Youngest: Katherine (Kitty)**


	36. Part 3: Chapter 9

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_January 1971_

She was sitting on the couch with her legs folded together off the floor, a book in her lap when she heard a knock on the door; she ignored it. Technically, nobody was supposed to be home. Both Brian and Ted were at work. She flipped the next page of her book when the knock came again. Still, she paid no attention. "Open up!" someone yelled. Andromeda paused, looking away from the book and at the door. The voice sounded familiar to her and her heart began to pound. "Andromeda open the door!"

"Cissy," Andromeda muttered under her breath, dropping the book to the floor as she hurried across the room to throw the door open. She saw her sister standing there, her blue eyes wide and her hair wind blown. Without another word, she grabbed Andromeda's hand and began tugging her down the hallway. "Cissy's what's going on?" she demanded, trying to pull her hand away as she reached for the door to close it.

"Your story is out. Rodolphus told. He broke your engagement and he told Mother and Father exactly why."

"Then why am I going with you?"

"Because you should."

"I should why?" Andromeda asked, tugging her hand away sharply. Narcissa flinched as if she was struggling to say something.

"Andromeda, they've got him. That- your- Ted is at Aunt Walburga's house." Andromeda's eyes grew wide as she reached for her pocket to grab her wand and disapparate. "I don't know how you got here Cissy but I suggest you go back. There's Floo powder on the fireplace mantel if you need it." And with that she was gone, leaving her sister alone in the hall, missing her sister's trembles as she disappeared. She felt her body squeezing tightly before she appeared at the door, knowing her uncle had placed apparition wards to prevent anyone from directly entering the house long ago. As quietly as possible she opened the door only to have her arms grabbed harshly in a pair of aging hands, a pair of sad and angry eyes meeting hers.

"You are an idiot girl!" Andromeda pulled herself away from her Aunt Cassiopeia.

"Where is he at?"

"Why couldn't you have listened to your uncle? Why couldn't you be smarter?" she hissed.

"Where is he?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing. Aunt Cassiopeia shook her head at her.

"The dining room," she sighed, her determination evaporating very suddenly. Andromeda nearly paused in her turn down the hall, surprised at such behavior in her stubborn great-aunt. Instead, she hurried along into the dining room at the end of the ground floor hallway. It appeared empty. The long, gleaming wood table, light around the edges with a long streak of dark wood in the middle took up the center of the room. There was a dresser sitting on the side of the room, the same dark color as the middle of the table, pictures littering the top of it in silver frames. She was about to turn around and leave, to demand Ted's real location from her great aunt when she saw him, hunched in the corner across from the door, beneath the large window that looked out at the back of the house. Andromeda rushed forward, falling her knees as she leaned down next to him, seeing that there was blood all over his lower arms where they stuck out from his robes, coming from small spots. Her hand traced lightly over his arm, not quite touching it, when she saw something moving beneath his robes along upper arm. She moved quickly, reaching one arm up his loose sleeve to grab whatever was moving, her hand shaking. She pulled it out, a spindly-legged silver object, the end of the legs rather pointy and covered in blood. It tried to stab her and she threw it across the room, hearing it fall with a thud of metal against wood.

"Ted, wake up," she said, pulling her wand out of her pocket and pointing it at one of the puncture wounds. "Wake-up!" she urged as she tried to close the hole in his skin. It didn't work. She racked her brain for another spell as she tried shaking his shoulder. He moaned without waking and she pulled back her hand to see that blood was now seeping through his robe where her hand had been. She pulled back the shoulder of his robe to see that there were puncture marks there too. She tried again with another spell to heal them but it wouldn't work.

"Useful tool, isn't it," she heard someone growl and she turned around to see her Aunt Walburga, Sirius and Regulus's mother heading towards her. Her heart beat quickly as she scuttled to her feet.

"What has it done?"

"He'll heal," she hissed, her eyes narrowing as she came closer, "provided he doesn't die before he has time to."

"What has it done?" she asked again, wanting to back up as her aunt was standing right on top of her but she would run into Ted. Her aunt reached forward and grabbed her arms harshly, her long fingernails stabbing into Andromeda's upper arms harshly enough to draw blood, even through her robe.

"I ought to hurt you all the worse!" she said, her voice seeming terribly loud since she was right in Andromeda's face, a bit of spit falling over her nose. "You're as filthy as he is! That some of the same blood runs through both our veins is a thought that will haunt me to the grave!" she yelled before pushing Andromeda away, trying to send her right back into Ted. She tried to move away, landing harshly on the ground beside him and she quickly stood up as she heard footsteps running into the room.

"You actually came for him," Bellatrix growled in amusement as she entered, Rodolphus standing behind her, a smirk on his face as she got to her feet. Her father followed barely looking in her direction while her mother wore a look of shame. Andromeda turned to glare at her older sister when Bellatrix sent a spell hit her hard in the upper chest and she went backwards, hitting the wall hard, her head beginning to swim.

"Annie!" someone yelled.

"Sirius go back!" his father yelled at him. Blinking rapidly to try and straighten her vision she saw him running forward from the door as she used the window sill to get to her feet. He managed to slip past his father but not his mother; she pushed him back, making the boy of ten slip and slid, losing his balance until he finally tripped to the ground. His father grabbed him by the arm, yanking him up, and attempted to pull him out of the room again.

"What's going on? Annie!" he called out.

"Let him stay!" his mother yelled out. "It's never too soon to learn how to deal with a blood traitor." Andromeda was fully on her feet now, one hand gripped tightly on her wand, the other holding tight to the window sill for support. "Is it?" she demanded, taking her wand and making a swiping motion. Andromeda screamed out as it cut through the top of her robes, swiping across her collar bone.

"Walburga!" Andromeda's father yelped suddenly, grabbing his sister's arm as Andromeda cautiously removed her hand from the window sill and placed it across her cut, drawing it back to find her hand red and covered in her own blood.

"She's your daughter Cygnus! You ought to deal with her! She's a traitor! Filth, scum! She's a vile excuse for a witch!" she spit angrily. Bellatrix just stood there watching, her eyes narrowed at Ted. Rodolphus stood behind her, a strange greedy look in his eyes. Her mother wasn't looking and her father looked like he was trembling. Andromeda's heart was pounding. She couldn't think straight, her eyes swirling around the room, not sure who to look to for support or in fear. Beside her, Ted groaned, his blue eyes coming opened. Her aunt growled as he blinked, focusing on Andromeda.

"Dromeda?" he asked blearily as he struggled to his feet.

"Shut-up mudblood!" Bellatrix yelled suddenly pointing her wand at Ted.

"Leave him alone!" Andromeda hollered before her sister had a chance to cast the spell. "Expel-"

"Crucio!" Bellatrix yelled out and Andromeda ducked, just as the red jet of light went over her head.

"Stop it!" Sirius yelled, squirming out of his father's grip and shooting under the table to where Bellatrix and Rodolphus were, coming out between Bellatrix and Andromeda.

"Sirius, go!" Andromeda commanded him, her heart pounding.

"Expelliarmus!" Ted shouted behind her. She saw him shaking terribly, his eyes half closed. Bellatrix's wand half-heartedly was torn from her hand and skittered half-way across the floor. Andromeda kicked it away with her foot.

"See Sirius? Don't you see?" Bellatrix demanded. "He's too weak, just a sniveling mudblood with hardly an ounce of magic! And Annie had chosen him over us! Chosen someone too pathetic to even be alive!" she shouted, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a knife.

"She hasn't chosen him over us, Bellatrix," her father spoke up suddenly as Sirius looked around, his eyes panicked. "Not yet. She's screwed up no doubt-"

"She has," a girl's voice said quietly from the doorway. Andromeda's eyes caught on the golden haired figure now standing in the doorway, shaking. Narcissa. "She's going to leave. No matter what you do, she's going to leave."

"Not if I have a say in it," Walburga growled, pulling out her wand. "Now is not the time for your rebellion!" she growled, pointing it at Andromeda. "You will stay here and we will keep you hidden! No one need know how much of a traitor you are! It is too dangerous for us right now to have an image like you floating around!" Andromeda shrieked as a jet of light came towards her and she tried to dash aside. It hit her left arm and she screamed. Tears of pain streamed from her eyes. "Besides, you can hardly run away with _him_," she sneered. "It will trace him," she said, flicking her wand under the table to bring the small, many legged metal object beneath the table. "I got a pair of them. It will trace him wherever he goes; all it takes is a little blood from everyone it's after," she growled before using her wand to toss it, landing it on Andromeda's right shoulder blade, just beyond the ends of her hair. She scurried to get it off but failed to do so before it punctured her skin. She felt a hand on her back and Ted pulled it off, throwing it across the room. It bounced off the table and onto a chair before hitting the ground and scurrying towards the nearest person to it, Sirius. The little boy's eyes grew wide and he kicked it away towards the other side of the room. Andromeda felt Ted shaking heavily behind her, his entire skin pale. He had lost too much blood already; she knew that. She had to get him out of here, regardless of whether they could be traced or not. She reached back with her right hand, tears still in her eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bellatrix asked harshly, her eyes narrowed as she stormed forward, shoving at Sirius to get towards them. He fell to the ground again, but quickly got back up and began running towards her.

"Leave Annie alone!" he yelled.

"She's left you for a mudblood Sirius!" Bellatrix yelled at him. "She loves him more than us! Don't you understand that! Andromeda doesn't love you anymore!"

SMASH! The whole room seemed to jump as a loud clang was heard from the doorway of the room. One of the heavy wooden chairs had suddenly come crashing down as Narcissa hastily put her wand back in her pocket. "Oops, I was trying to open the window," she said as her uncle picked up the chair, something silver and smashed lying beneath it. Andromeda's grip tightened on Ted's hand.

"St. Mungo's," she muttered, never feeling so determined and deliberate in her life. She felt the squished and compacted feeling of apparating. Then everything went black.

Andromeda groaned, her body feeling stiff as she began to wake. She could hear voices, people talking and slowly she tried to sit up, blinking hard. The light was thin and rather dim and the bed didn't feel familiar. She strained her ears trying to hear.

"I'm surprised they didn't splich themselves by the state they were in," someone was saying, a female voice. "The boy wouldn't have lasted too much longer without a blood-replenishing potion and the girl's arm was shattered to pieces. I'm guessing she was the one who brought them here though. I doubt the boy could have preformed any magic in his state." Andromeda groaned again, still not loudly enough for them to hear. She could see them now, shadows against a curtain on the far side of the room. One of them was a tall woman.

"And why did you call me in?"

"There're signs that dark magic has been used on both of them, the boy especially, something that punctured the skin all over. The girl only has one on her upper back but I think it was the same spell or object that caused them."

"Any idea who they are?"

"We found a wallet on the boy. His name is Ted Tonks. He's a muggle-born. His family has already been contacted and someone has been sent to go get them."

"And the girl?"

"We found her name on the inside of her robes, Andromeda Black."

"So we've got the latest Black run-away you think?"

"Yes," the woman replied. "Little surprised I don't have to make you realize that there's no chance this girl is the perpetrator."

"You're sure she's not?" the man asked gruffly.

"We checked her wand. She hasn't preformed any dark spells recently, possibly ever. And she has a couple old scars, quite possibly from the exact same person."

The man grunted in acknowledgement. "Not too surprising. I've had warnings there might be a Black runaway." Slowly Andromeda sat up, looking around the room more. There were two other beds beside her. A woman, older than herself was sleeping to her left and the bed to her right was empty. She heard footsteps coming from behind the curtain on her far left and a woman came forward in the lime green healer robes. Long, straight brown hair, streaked with gray was held in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a piercing dark blue and she smiled over at Andromeda.

"You're up," she said calmly as she walked over.

"It would appear so," Andromeda agreed, rubbing at her eyes with her right hand. "Where's Ted at?"

"He got moved to Artifacts," she replied. "You're in Spell Damages." The man walked out as well, his face somewhat off center, his robes marking him as an Auror.

"She's up," he said gruffly.

"It would appear so," she answered, rolling her eyes and then casting a brief smile on Andromeda. "Could you follow my finger please?" Andromeda nodded and let her eyes follow the woman's finger around. "Can you tell me your full name?"

"Andromeda Walburga Black."

"Is Andromeda what you like to be called? Do you have a nick-name?"

"Andromeda's fine," she answered, her eyes following the healer's finger to the extreme left. "Is Ted alright?"

"He's going to be. He actually woke up before you did, about half an hour ago."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Only a couple hours. Don't worry. It's still 1971," she said with a smile. "Can you try and move your arm for me?" Andromeda tried to flex her left arm and failed to manage the task. The healer nodded. "Right, well, that didn't work. Plan B I suppose," she sighed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" the man asked gruffly.

"Leave her alone for a while more, Alastor," the woman instructed him with a slight glare from the other side of the room where she was looking through a cabinet. "The fact of the matter is I'm surprised she's woken up this quickly. Andromeda, could you list the months backwards for me? Start with December."

"December, November, October, September, ah- August…"

"I've got to ask, Tori," he replied.

"July, June, Mar- no May, April, March, February, January. Do I start with December again?"

"No that's alright," the healer replied. "I know that Alastor. I'm telling you, not right now. We're supposed to report incidents of supposed Dark Magic as soon as we see them to the Ministry as of late, otherwise I wouldn't have told you until after both of them are better recovered." She walked back towards Andromeda. "Can you tell me your birthday?"

"How do you even know that Tori?" the Auror asked.

"She has a file here. Her little sister managed to accidentally give her a duck bill when she was five." Andromeda snorted. "Apparently your memory is doing alright." Andromeda nodded.

"I sounded vaguely like a duck for a week."

"Your birthday?"

"November 19th."

"Your year in school?"

"Seventh."

"This is going to feel a bit strange," she said, removing her wand from her breast pocket. She took Andromeda's left arm gently in hers and tapped it. Suddenly it seemed like the bones had gently dissolved. Andromeda tried to move her fingers to know avail. "It got shattered too badly for the nerves to reconnect normally. We're going to have to regrow the bones."

"Skelo-grow?" Andromeda groaned.

"No, we're not going to try that until it's a last resort."

"You jump right on the skelo-grow when it's me," the Auror complained.

"Well I just hate you at this point Alastor."

"Nice to know I've been around here enough that you can have a well founded hatred of me."

"Always a nice thing to know you're well known in your local hospital," the healer agreed before turning her attention back to Andromeda. "We're going to try something else. Goes directly to the area in question and it's somewhat less painful. The problem is that it takes a couple weeks or so before you'll get all of your bones back."

"Even when I was going to be here two weeks anyway you gave me skelo-grow," the Auror growled.

"By the way, I'm Healer Brigham and this is Alastor Moody," Healer Brigham said ignoring him.

"Why are you giving me-" suddenly Andromeda stopped and her eyes got wide. She shook her head rapidly. "You made a mistake."

"Well, obviously we've found someone who knows her potion properties," the healer snorted.

"Apparently I don't," Moody grunted.

"You made a mistake. I'm not."

"I'm afraid these things do happen," Brigham chuckled.

"Even if I had been, I got thrown against a bloody wall!"

"Thrown against a wall? By who?" Moody asked suddenly becoming alert. Andromeda bit her lip.

"That explains the concussion you had. And Alastor, I told you to wait!"

"I can't be. You do know that right?" Andromeda asked.

"It's unlikely at this point but it is a possibility. And surprisingly enough, you are."

"What spell was used? Did you catch it? Who did that to your arm?" Moody demanded.

"I can't be," Andromeda assured her.

"Now who do you think knows better about these thing, me or you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing a little. "And get out Alastor!"

"I need answers," he complained. "Unless you're trying to protect them," he growled, leaning close to Brigham, as if trying to interrogate her. She barely blinked.

"Alastor, if I was, do you really think that after all the years of healing your battle wounds I wouldn't have tried to kill you at all? I assure you, it would have been very easy," she said calmly. Moody growled at her.

"Fine, but I'll be back."

"I'll be pining for you," she replied dryly as Andromeda blinked rapidly, staring at the wall across from her.

"I'm not."

"Right now you are. Due to your injuries you may or may not be by tomorrow." Andromeda glared off into space and attempted to cross her arms over her chest. Only her right arm would move and the healer laughed. Andromeda turned her glare on the older woman. "The next couple weeks should be fairly interesting for you," she said lightly, placing her hand lightly on Andromeda's right shoulder. "You're not left handed are you?"

"No," Andromeda told her, leaning back angrily.

"Darn, I could always use some amusement."

**I admit, action scenes are not my forte. So that part's pretty short I guess. I'm sorry if you wanted a more action-y/longer/both scene. I'm working on getting better but it's really hard for me for some reason. And before you kill me, Ted explains how he got there next chapter.**

**On the subject of the next chapters… There are, in theory, three more left. One of them is stubbornly refusing to be written the way I want it to. And having finals next week and a jamboree of tests and things this week is not helping. Apparently when I begin to feel stressed I get a large longing to write short, fluffy comedy (I wrote a 500ish word thing this morning about Nymphadora being mad at the weather but I didn't post it). Anyway, back on subject… The end is in sight (and actually written) but the chapter proceeding it is not. Which causes issues because I need to check it against the chapter right after this one before I post the chapter that comes after this one.**

**Hope you have a good-day and never feel in the mood to spend an entire hour glaring at someone.**


	37. Part 3: Chapter 10

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_January 1971_

"So guess what? I'm pregnant." Andromeda sat down on the foot of his bed, holding her wand in her right hand with the tip illuminated. As far as she could see, the other beds in the room were empty. Ted blinked groggily and looked up at her.

"Dromeda! You're okay! They told me you were but- They couldn't fix your arm?" he asked as he propped himself up, looking at her left arm which was held in a sling to keep it from flopping everywhere.

"Did you hear me?"

"No."

"You know, you're such a guy. Here I make a potentially life changing declaration and you don't even listen!"

"Dromeda, I was asleep. I heard you mumble something and then I saw a light in front of me. If I remember correctly when I tried to wake you two days ago, you didn't even realize that I had spoken and you kept right on sleeping." She glared at him. "No wait a minute. You tried to hit me, missed, nearly fell out of bed, and then went back to sleep."

"You know, maybe I shouldn't have been in your bed anyway. Then maybe they could have just given me stupid skelo-grow!" Ted looked at her in bewilderment and then reached forward slowly and grabbed her wand, guiding it towards her face, studying her carefully. "What are you doing?"

"Checking that you're not sleep walking and talking," he answered carefully, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I've never done either."

"Yeah, well, it was worth checking. Did you have a concussion or something?"

"Yes, but they fixed that easy," she told him. "They _could_ have fixed my arm easy but they won't and that's your fault!"

"Is it?" he asked in confusion. "Okay, I take full blame."

"Well, okay it's my fault too."

"If you insist."

"But I'm going to blame you."

"I'm really trying hard to follow this." Andromeda looked away from him, her eyes turning down at the floor, feeling her eyes welling up with tears. Her right hand rested on her knee, lowering the source of light. "Dromeda," he said quietly. "Come on, I'm sorry I didn't hear you, okay?" he said, reaching out to brush back a strand of her hair. She reached up and lightly touched his arm.

"You're all covered in bandages," she told him quietly.

"I'm going to heal alright. They just can't magic them shut," he assured her, gently stroking her cheek. "They won't even scar too bad. They put dittany on it." Gently she began to cry, feeling the tears falling down her cheek. Ted pulled back the blanket and scooted closer to her. "Dromeda, it's okay. I'll be fine. You'll be fine. It'll be okay."

"I don't know how to do this. I really don't. I always thought- I mean I guess, maybe, someday- but then it might go away anyway, problem solved, right?"

"Problem solved?"

"Yes, but no. No, now I don't want the problem to be solved at the same time but that's fully stupid and- and-" she let out a sob and tried to brush her tears away with her left hand but it wouldn't move from the sling and it made her sob again before she swatted away Ted's hand on the right side of her face and used that arm to slosh away her tears, her wand still held firmly in her right hand, the light moving across the room for an instant.

"Dromeda, what's-"

"She'd be happy you know."

"Who?"

"Bella. That she did it. That she took it away. Ha, ha, ha, she'd find it a bloody good thing."

"Took what away? Dromeda you're worrying me."

"Ted, don't you get it?" she pleaded desperately.

"No," he replied shaking his head, his eyes wide.

"They won't give me stupid skelo-grow! They won't give me skelo-grow because it goes to any bones that aren't complete and therefore it can screw things up really badly if I'm- if there's a baby." She heard Ted's teeth clink together as she shrugged her shoulders forward, continuing to cry. A second later she felt his hand lightly on her back. She began to lean forward and she heard him groan in pain; she pulled back sharply, tears still in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"S'kay," he replied. "You didn't know. It'll heal and-"

"No I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! If it weren't for me you wouldn't- wouldn't be here anyway and- and-" She pushed away tears with her right arm again.

"Dromeda, please," he begged, reaching out and touching her cheek again. "I knew it going in! I did. So this is the worst we come out, fine! It gets worse, whatever! I love you, do you understand that? And we'll get through this, baby or not." She looked up at him, his eyes studying her carefully. She was silent, brushing away the tears again and sniffling. "Dromeda?"

"I think your mother already knows," she said quietly.

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"She mentioned something at Christmas. I'm so stupid. I didn't even think twice about it."

"Oh, she does that. I think on purpose. Kind of her way of saying ha, ha, I know what you've been up to. It's a mother thing."

"My mother never did that." Suddenly she flinched. "I can't do that." Ted snorted. "No, seriously, I can't! I've never had a gift like that. I can't keep track of someone else. I can barely keep track of myself. Doesn't getting pregnant show that? I can't, really I can't. Stop laughing! It's not funny Ted!"

"No, it's not. But your panic is," he said, beginning to full out laugh. He flinched a little and she glared at him.

"Stop it. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, his laughs starting to subside. Andromeda sighed and looked away.

"I don't really know what to think," she said quietly. "I can't do this Ted. I really can't. But I don't want- I don't want-" she felt tears beginning to stream down her face again.

"Come here," he told her.

"I'll hurt you."

"No, you won't. Come here." Slowly, she consented and crawled forward, her wand behind her ear as Ted scooted over. He reached out and lightly grabbed her left shoulder to help steady her as she went forward. She stretched her legs out next to his on top the blanket and leaned back against the pillows same as he was. He put his hand on her leg, rubbing it gently.

"I don't want to lose it Ted," she said quietly. "I know it's wrong, but I kind of want to stick it in her face and say ha, see here, you couldn't even stop a baby. You couldn't stop me from having a family. You couldn't- you couldn't-"

"I know." He suddenly grinned. "Although I sure hope you don't literally intend to shove a baby in her face."

"Not funny, Ted," she growled at him.

"Seriously, maybe you should never be a mother if _that's_ what you're going to do."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"We should have you sterilized, ASAP."

"You know it's easier to sterilize a guy and since I don't intend on being with anyone but you it would seem that making you sterile would work far better."

"Not funny. Not funny at all," he told her. She raised her eyebrows at him with a smirk on her face before leaning back further on the pillows, her eyes blinking tiredly. "Dromeda, are you going to fall asleep?"

"Maybe."

"Fine. But if you get caught it's all your fault."

"Mmm, okay," Andromeda agreed sleepily as she stared up at the ceiling in the dark, her resting her wand on her stomach. "Ted?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you get there anyway?"

"Get where?"

"Aunt Walburga's."

"That was your aunt's house?"

"Yes."

"I thought I remembered seeing a little boy. Then again everything's a bit cloudy."

"Do you remember getting there?"

"Yes but I have no recollection of getting out. I heard you apparated. I mean seriously, that's impressive. Technically, you were apparating three if I was as out of it as they say and apparently you're on the nest."

"What?"

"On the nest, in delicate condition, knocked up, bun in the-"

"Oh forget I asked. How do you get so many weird sayings?" she asked, rolling her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling.

"To have a hairy heart?"

"It's raining cats and dogs?"

"Never did understand that one myself. Where did you pick it up?"

"Your father said it at some point I think."

"Ah. Marianne got him to tell the story of how he met my mother again. Between her and Kitty I'm not sure how I survived childhood. Although, did I ever tell you how my parents-"

"Ted, you're very good at avoiding the question," Andromeda told him.

"Aren't I?" he sighed. "So anyway it was actually raining-"

"Ted."

"Fine. I told you we can't just apparate right to work anymore, right?"

"Yes. Security."

"Well, I was supposed to meet Jeremy at a point where we could walk, the whole not going alone thing, but he didn't show. Came by here later today. Said he was terribly sorry, practically a wreck. He had to come to work last night because one of the other workers nearly got strangled by the venomous tentaculus and had to go home to recover. It's not like he purposefully left me or any-"

"Ted, you're stalling again."

"You want no details?"

"Simplest form please."

"I was walking, someone hit me from a spell with behind, and I ended up stunned. I woke up at the house you later showed up at with the Lestrange guy and your sister."

"Rodolphus and Bellatrix?"

"I thought you wanted no details."

"Fine, some details wanted."

"Right, then Rodolphus and Narcissa, that better?"

"Narcissa?"

"Yes, blonde hair, blue eyes, very similar bone structure to you, looking terrified as hell."

"I'm just surprised."

"Yeah, I thought I might be seeing things too at first but then again Narcissa and Bellatrix don't look much a like. They're rather like night and day aren't they?"

"Ted," Andromeda told him lightly.

"Dromeda, can't we just talk about this some other time?" Andromeda looked at him, his blue eyes seeming downcast and sad. Biting her lip, she brushed her hand over his. He twisted his left hand and gave her hand a squeeze before pulling it away, reaching for the hem of the pajama shirt he was wearing. Andromeda's eyes grew wide as she saw a long bumpy cut stretching from his right shoulder to just above his left hip. Quickly, she tried to move away, sending her wand clattering to the ground, afraid she would hurt him if she accidentally touched him but he dropped his shirt and placed both his hands on her right arm. "I'm okay."

"Rodolphus did that?" Ted nodded. "But I didn't see it. It-it wasn't bleeding or-"

"He healed it back up again for me? I guess? I don't know. I fainted. Next thing I remember was waking up when you were there."

"Why would he do that? I don't-"

"I got him back though," Ted protested. "I'm not going to tell you all my cruel ways."

"Ted," Andromeda growled.

"I'm not. You're too young and innocent," he laughed. Andromeda looked away from him and a moment later she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Ted," she said faintly.

"Dromeda, stop, please, it's not your fault."

"It's more my fault than anyone else's. It was my family and being with you was my choice."

"I had a say too you know," he told her in frustration. Slowly she nodded, still not turning back to face him. Silence came over the room.

"So you never did tell me who the father is," Ted broke out into the quiet. She turned to look at him again and glared hard at him. "Does that mean you don't know?"

"Ted," she growled.

"Tut, tut Dromeda."

"You know I really want to hit you right now for that, but as you're injured I will refrain."

"Thank you."

"I'll just wallop you all the harder once you're better."

Ted had fallen asleep when Andromeda got out of the bed, intending to head back up to her bed. She scooped up her wand from the ground and began heading through the quiet hallways, her ears perked up as she heard the snippets of conversations between healers, nearly the only noises. She was putting most of her attention into a conversation of how to get rid of the large green spots a child had suddenly broken out in, when she became aware of a tall woman standing in front of her. Sheepishly, she met her eyes. "Where's the bathroom?" she suggested.

"Come on Andromeda," she dictated, pointing her towards the stairs. With a sigh she agreed, leading the way with Healer Brigham behind her. "Going down to see your boyfriend?"

"Fiancé actually," she told her.

"You couldn't have believed me that he was alright?"

"I wanted to talk to him."

"Did you tell him then?"

"Yes," she agreed as she reached the top of the stairs and turned around to see the older woman's blue eyes studying her in the dimly lit corridor. She bit her lip, feeling suddenly quite self-conscience.

"Any guesses on how his cut on his chest got to be the way it is?"

"It looks like somebody healed in a real hurry or- or-" she looked away from the other woman.

"Or?" she questioned lightly.

"Inexperienced." Brigham nodded.

"Leaning more in which direction?"

"Excuse me?"

"Was it more likely hurry or inexperience?"

"I guess inexperience."

"Good. That was our guess too."

"But that wouldn't make sense unless- Cissy!" Andromeda said suddenly.

"And the sissy is?"

"Cissy, short for Narcissa. My younger sister. She's barely sixteen. She doesn't like him but- I guess I wouldn't have thought she would but-"

"Good. That does sound logical. And your interested in this because?"

"I love him," she said, raising her eyebrow at the woman.

"No, not that. I meant, why have you been interested enough in healing to be able to distinguish between hurry and inexperience?" Andromeda gave her a confused look. Healer Brigham smiled. "For your information, you're being interviewed. Normally we do this during the Easter holiday but since you're here now, we might as well get it over with."

"Um," Andromeda started.

"Besides, I'm tired of eager to please Ravenclaws and humble helpful Hufflepuffs," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't get me wrong; they can make great Healers in the end. But that first year or so it's almost annoying. I want someone with a bit more attitude. Now, answer the question." Andromeda stared at her wide eyed for a moment before she found her voice again and began to speak. She saw Healer Brigham smile and hoped it was a good sign.

**Today is a good day. I am happy. I got cookies at work because my boss is really nice and the next chapter actually consented to be written. I'm pretty smiley. And high on sugar. Go cookies…**

**Anyway, yes, there are two chapters left total. Both are kind of wrap ups with different people I guess. Hopefully I'll get them posted soon. Although I'm not sure what I'll do with myself then. I might actually have to study.**


	38. Part 3: Chapter 11

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_January 1971_

Andromeda nearly lost her balance as she spilled out of the fireplace in Slughorn's office. Automatically she reached out with her left hand to steady herself by grabbing the edge of the fireplace, the nearest thing to her and realized yet again that while she now had full control of her elbow, she still didn't have complete control of her wrist and her fingers were still boneless and floppy. She lost her balance completely and fell to the ground, wincing as her knees hit the harsh stone hidden just below the rug. "Not very graceful are you?" Slughorn asked. She looked up at him to see him coming towards her from the other side of the room.

"The arm throws me off," she told him, meeting his eyes as she tried to scramble to her feet. Her bag that she had slung over her left shoulder and against her right side impeded the process. Professor Slughorn reached her and offered a hand but she was nearly up and she got to her feet without his help. She stood in front of him, biting her lip as she stared around the room, quite conscience that she was a bit taller than he was.

"They couldn't heal you all the way then?" he asked, looking at her arm.

"It was a curse. It wouldn't heal right so their using a more muggle way," she answered. She saw his eyes glance at her fingers. If she knew her potions properties, the potion's professor certainly would.

"Mmm," he agreed, looking at her carefully. He seemed uncertain.

"I'll just go now," she replied glancing at the door. Her head of house nodded at her as she headed towards the door out of his office.

"Andromeda," he asked suddenly right before she opened the door, "did they happen to mention anything about your application while you were there?" Her right hand rested on the doorknob.

"Um, yeah, actually," she answered, looking down at the ground as she felt a grin come across her face. "I- I got the job. I start training with Tor- Victoria Brigham in June if I get the right scores on my N.E.W.T.'s." He sighed. Andromeda looked back at him. He looked even more confused but he managed to smile at her.

"Knew you had it in you," he said, forcing a bit of a chuckle. Andromeda nodded and then pushed open the door, slipping into the hallway, her bag still under her right arm. She sighed as the door shut behind her and she set in the direction of the stairs; she had to go down to the Slytherin dungeon to put her things away. She wished she didn't.

It was already two days into the term. Andromeda had only been in the hospital for four days. Ted would still be there for another couple of days. She wished she could have stayed with him, stayed in the hospital. Tori, Healer Brigham had told her to call her Tori, had let Andromeda move around as much as she wanted. She had prompted that the more Andromeda got blood flowing through her arm the faster it would heal, the more to the baby, the higher the chance her daughter had of making it. Besides, Andromeda had gotten to follow her around, leading to what rather turned into a three day long interview. After the first half day or so, Andromeda had forgotten that part, at least until her last day there. Tori had sat her down and told her what she needed to receive on her N.E.W.T.'s to be in Spell Division and Tori's personal condition: she wanted Andromeda married before she started working there. Black was not a good name for someone in Spell Division to have, especially not right now. Tonks was neutral; Tonks would be okay.

Andromeda's feet led her to the wall hiding the common room, and she muttered the old password, hoping it hadn't changed over the holidays. To both her relief and dismay, it hadn't. With a deep breath, she walked into the common room and slowly began to feel eyes pouring over her. For a moment things were quiet. Some of the younger students kept on their conversations until they heard the silence around the room. Andromeda decided just to hurry for her dorm when she heard a loud wolf whistle from one of the couches away from the fire. Her eyes reflexively looked over to see fifth year boy sitting there, his friend bearing a huge grin. "Hey, Black, you'll get down with a mud-blood so how about take a step up and get with me? I'll even let you pick the time," he called as his friend cackled. Andromeda clenched her teeth and began heading towards the stairs.

"I wouldn't dare do it if I were you," one of the girl's in Andromeda's year piped up. Her eyes fixed on Andromeda. "You'd probably catch some disease. No doubt she'll die painfully because of it," she said, her eyes narrowing. Andromeda's stomach clenched. She felt mad and wished hard she could run without sacrificing even more of her dignity. Her dormmates had never been unfriendly to her before. They had never been close but things had never been bad between them. She swallowed hard and walked on, passing the couch nearest the stairs towards the girls' dormitory. Her eyes fell upon the one person in the room not looking at her. Narcissa was sitting on the couch looking carefully at her textbook. Lucius sat next to her with his arm around her shoulder, looking smugly at Andromeda. His friend sat next to him.

"Look it Lucius. Here comes your future sister-in-law," his friend sneered.

"Don't be an idiot. Narcissa has nothing to do with her anymore, do you Cissy?" he asked her.

"I talk to Bellatrix all the time," she replied, looking up, her eyes still carefully avoiding the direction Andromeda was in compared to her.

"I meant your other sister." Narcissa gave Lucius a look of total confusion as Andromeda headed up the stairs. Suddenly she felt her feet slip and she fell, managing to catch herself before she went down more than one stair. She turned around and glared to see Lucius standing at the end of the stairs smirking as she got to her feet, a trip jinx. Andromeda turned and glared at him, her hand on her own wand.

"Aren't you an annoying little puppet?" she asked him darkly, pulling her wand out and pointing it at him and returning a hex before turning her back and heading upstairs. She heard him yelp like a small puppy as she went.

One of her roommates was sitting on her bed, writing a letter but she scrunched up her nose, glared, picked it up and left. Andromeda sighed and dropped her bag down on her bed before sinking down on it herself. She leaned her back against the headboard and stared across the room. Before, she had intended on leaving to go to the library as soon as she dropped off her bag. Now she had absolutely no desire to go through the common room again.

"Andromeda?" someone asked softly from the doorway. She looked up to see Francis standing there with her backpack on, her eyes wide.

"Yeah?" she asked. Suddenly Francis shot forward, dropping her bag with a thud as she hurried forward. She threw her arms around Andromeda as she reached the bed, practically falling on to her as she climbed up on Andromeda's bed at the same time. Francis caught herself and sat back on her knees.

"I've missed you."

"Obviously," Andromeda told her. Her young friend looked nearly in tears.

"I- there were rumors that you were- I didn't think they were true since you owled me the day before we came back but you could have been-"

"They said I died?"

"It was just one of the rumors. There's a ton buzzing around."

"Great." Francis suddenly leaned forward and hugged her again. "Are you alright?" Andromeda asked. "They weren't mean to you were they?"

"No more so than usual," she answered looking down on the ground. Andromeda flinched. Francis had not been treated very well since last year when the war had broken out fully. Many people had ignored her but there were always those who were plain out mean. "I've just- I've- I-"

"You missed me?" Andromeda asked her. Francis nodded and then looked away.

"I don't know if I'm going to make it through this alone."

"Francis-"

"No I'm serious. Worrying about you was enough. And Frank wants to be an Auror, did I tell you that?"

"I think you've mentioned it before," Andromeda replied, crossing her legs into a pretzel.

"I don't want him to get hurt," she said quietly. "He's going to get hurt. And I'm going to worry about him. And I don't like worrying about him."

"You don't know he's going to get hurt."

"If he becomes an Auror he will."

"You don't know he'll do that. He's got another year and a half. He could change his mind."

"He won't," Francis said shaking her head. "And neither will Alice."

"She want to be an Auror too?" Francis nodded.

"I don't like worrying."

"I don't think anyone does."

"Can't they just capture him? Can't they capture You-Know-Who? Then Frank and Alice, maybe they wouldn't want to be so brave and I wouldn't have to worry about you and- and my mum and dad and-" Tears began to stream down her face. "I don't like this!" Andromeda reached out and pulled her friend close to her, stroking her hair as she cried.

The next morning, Andromeda left her dorm early, gathering her books and heading out of the room before anyone else woke. There were very few people in the common room and they ignored her as she passed. She walked up the stairs to Professor Flitwick's office; she knew he was an early riser. He was already awake and was willing to fill her in on what she had missed the first couple days of the term. As she was about to leave he stopped her and wished her luck. She managed a slight smile and moved on to breakfast.

The day seemed both terribly long and terribly short. She kept catching being looking at her in the halls. Most of the Gryffindors seemed to be staring at her unsurely. A lot of her fellow Slytherins skirted to the other side of the hallway, glared, tried to trip her, or a combination of the three. Many Ravenclaws were gossips; a few paid attention to her but most of them were already moving on to more interesting topics of discussion. The Hufflepuffs were a much varied group, ranging from raised eyebrows, to complete neutrality, to a girl in her Herbology class who suddenly decided she wanted to be Andromeda's friend. All in all, she was grateful for the library after her classes that day when she could find a secluded table, away from everyone else. She was already working on catching up on her Herbology homework when Frank showed up near her.

"Have you seen Francis?" he asked.

"She's still in Transfiguration," Andromeda told him, glancing up from her book.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose. Um, can I sit down?" he asked, seeming vaguely nervous.

"I guess so," Andromeda answered, looking at him suspiciously. He sat down but didn't say anything and she looked back down at her book again. He took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" She looked up again to see that he was looking at her arm.

"It'll be fine soon enough."

"That's good. How's, um, that guy, the one you- the one-"

"Ted?" Andromeda asked him, her brow crumpling in confusion.

"Yeah him."

"He's going to be fine. He gets out of the hospital soon."

"He's still there then?" Frank asked in surprise.

"Yeah but he's been teasing me since nearly the moment we got there. He's going to be just fine," she assured him. It had taken her a while to be assured herself but then Frank wasn't nearly as connected.

"That's- that's good then."

"I certainly think so," Andromeda answered dryly. Frank was quiet for a moment and she turned back to her book.

"She's been living in the library and she stayed in Alice's dormitory the night before last," Frank told her. "She's scared to be alone in the Slytherin dungeon." Andromeda looked up at him. His voice was firmer.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to-"

"It's not your fault or anything," Frank said, looking down at his feet and blushing. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean you were in the hospital. There's nothing you could do about that and you are going to leave at the end of the year anyway and, I mean, she's not the only one. I know a friend of Alice's who's in Hufflepuff whose dormmate keeps letting a Slytherin girl share her room. None of the Hufflepuffs mind but of course some of Alice's dormmates might. I mean, she's a Gryffindor and Francis is a Slytherin and they don't- they don't-"

"Get along so well?" Andromeda suggested as Frank sat down in a chair across the table from her.

"Yeah."

"She's in Charm's Club."

"Yeah, I heard. Alice is in it too. I just- she needs friends."

"I'm not about to try and stop her."

"I was just seeing that you agreed. I don't- I thought that's what's best but I don't really understand your house."

"I've seen that before."

"I mean she's one of their own, you know? They shouldn't treat her like they do, like she's not good enough."

"I have a feeling Gryffindor would too, if the circumstances were right. So would any of the rest of them, you know that. What if a supporter of You-Know-Who showed up in the middle of your house?"

"Yeah, I guess," Frank agreed.

"She's never going to fit in to Slytherin. She loves you too much."

"Then why did she choose to be there? You can tell it no. You can tell the stupid hat no," Frank growled.

"Because she wanted to be different from you," Andromeda sighed. "She'd always been compared to you. If she was in Slytherin, she thought the comparisons would stop. The hat gave her a choice. Slytherin was an option. She wants to be independent. She wants to be on her own." Frank managed to grin.

"She's always been like that. Always really good at finding out how to get into things when we were little."

"Mmm," Andromeda agreed.

"She didn't want to be me?"

"That's my theory."

"She's not. Can't she see that?"

"I think she sees it fine. The problem is she doesn't think everyone else can see it. Or she didn't. I think she's more secure in the fact now."

"I want her out of Slytherin."

"I know. I do too."

"Do you think we could petition Dumbledore to have her resorted? I mean, considering the circumstances."

"It wouldn't do any good. She's still the same person. She'd go right back," Andromeda told him and then gave him a weak smile. "And you know it too."

"Slowly I'm grasping it." He sighed. "I used to think Slytherins were all pureblood maniacs." Andromeda shook her head.

"No more than all Gryffindors are strong fighters for the rights of muggle-borns and muggles."

"Right, I suppose." He shook his head.

"She's going to be okay," Andromeda assured him. "She is a Slytherin. She's going to look out for herself. She already knew things were going to change this year. That's why she joined Charms Club, why she's working on making new friends outside our house."

"Yeah, I know. She's just- she's my little sister and I don't want her to get hurt. Even if I do fight with her," he added hastily, catching Andromeda's eye.

"You haven't fought so much this year.'

"I guess not," he shrugged.

"Frank, can I ask you a question?"

"I guess," he said, looking a bit surprised.

"Why aren't you in class right now?" He winced.

"I blew up a cauldron," he admitted.

"Oh."

"And it filled the whole Potions dungeon with smoke."

"That's not good."

"And it was green and we had to be evacuated."

"I see."

"The potion was supposed to be purple. Not green."

"Not green," Andromeda nodded. Frank sighed.

"I'm never going to manage an Exceeds Expectations on Potions, am I?"

"Do you need to carry on with Potions?"

"I want to be an Auror," he spoke up.

"I know."

"You do?"

"Francis told me."

"Oh that."

"So you need Potions?" He nodded. "Why not a different job? You could be on Magical Law-"

"No."

"There's lots of things you could do to-"

"No."

"You're being-"

"Stubborn? Idiotic?"

"I was going to throw in self-limiting but yes that's the general list."

"This is what I want to do. I know it's dangerous. I know it's hard. But I want to," he replied, his eyes set and certain. Andromeda nodded. She understood.

"Do you want help?"

"What?"

"Do you want help? I'm in N.E.W.T. level potions. I didn't pull an Outstanding in Potions but I obviously got an Exceeds Expectations." His eyes narrowed.

"What's in it for you?"

"I get out of the Slytherin dungeon, I get practice on my own Potions, and I get on Slughorn's nerves if you get into Potions next year."

"Why is it a good thing for you to get on Slughorn's nerves?"

"Because I didn't like being collected before and I certainly don't like the way he's debating whether I'm collectable now."

"Remind me never to make you mad."

"I'm not mad. Just a bit annoyed, that's all."

"You haven't seen me in Potions."

"Do you want help?"

"Just like that?"

"No, one condition."

He sighed. "I should have guessed. What is it?"

"You have to ask out Alice Hale?"

"What kind of a condition is that?"

"The kind of someone who's friends with your sister and knows she'll be driven nuts over the summer if you two don't start going out soon. Francis told me she and her boyfriend broke up over break."

"She doesn't like me like that."

"And Professor Kettleburn doesn't like pinching the buttocks of every female professor." Frank grinned.

"You really think she likes me?"

Andromeda closed her eyes and shook her head. "Do you agree or not?"

"I don't- if she doesn't- if you're- fine!"

"Fine?"

"Fine," he grumbled.

"See you tomorrow after dinner," she remarked as cheerfully as possible.

"Why are you doing this? Francis doesn't like that I want to be an Auror."

"No, but you'll find a way no matter what won't you?"

"Yes," he said without a slight bit of hesitation.

"Then why not let me manipulate the situation to my advantage."

"Why else are you doing this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Andromeda smiled a little.

"Francis won't tell me exactly what's going on next year. She didn't tell me about all her time in the library or being in Alice's dorm when I was gone."

"So you're looking for me to write to you?"

"No. Like you'd write to me anyway."

"Then I don't see-"

Andromeda smiled. "If you ask her out and I had something to do with it, Alice will."


	39. Part 3: Chapter 12

**If I owned it, I would be rich and not at all worried about the economy. As it is, I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter. Sorry.**

_Part Three: Until They're Before Your Eyes _

_April 1971_

"You look gorgeous," Kitty told her happily. "Oh, I forgot something!" she squealed, hurrying out of the room again. Andromeda bit her lip as she studied the person in the mirror. Curly brown hair had been tamed by some good smelling muggle potion Kitty had found. It was pulled half up, behind her ears, brushing just a little against her back. The clothes weren't even hers. She was wearing one of Lisa's dresses. It felt awkward. She wanted her robes and at the same time she rather liked being out of them. Although, studying herself in the mirror, it seemed all the more obvious that a very slight bump was beginning to show on her stomach. Slowly her hand moved over it and Susan Tonks put a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Trust me. No one will notice it if they don't know," she whispered quietly.

"You knew before you got told," Andromeda told her, looking down at her stomach again.

"Well I'm a mother. I just know," she said with a light smile.

"I found it!" Kitty declared coming back into her mother's room. She stood on her tiptoes behind Andromeda and slipped a thin, pretty chain over her neck. "Too bad your ears aren't pierced," she commented thoughtfully.

"I've never really worn much jewelry," Andromeda told her. "Or make-up." Kitty sighed and shook her head. Susan squeezed her shoulder.

This had never been how she had pictured the day of her wedding. Bellatrix and Narcissa had always been in her mind as the ones who would help her get ready. Instead, here she was with her husband's mother and younger sister, with muggles. It had always been after she had left school but it was actually April, during Easter Break in her final year. Already she was three months pregnant with a little girl. And she was not marrying Rodolphus Lestrange. She was marrying a muggle-born, Ted Tonks in muggle clothes, pretending to be a muggle. She had no interest in a big wedding. So they were simply going to a muggle church. It was still considered legally binding in the wizarding world; it would still change her name. Andromeda bit her lip as she left the room, tugging at her clothes. The church wasn't far from here. They were walking.

"I think it's going to rain," Kitty commented, looking up at the stormy sky.

"It is April," Susan reminded her. Andromeda stared off into space, listening only slightly as they continued to talk. She wasn't unhappy or scared or regretful. It just felt like all her thoughts were scattered, too airy for her to get a good grip. She wondered where Ted was. He had gone with his father and Richard to the church earlier. Marianne and Lisa wouldn't be there. Alice and Francis had pleaded with her until she'd allowed them to come. It amazed her a little just how well her plan had worked. In the past couple of months, Alice had turned out to be a great ally. She was quite fearless when it came to making enemies in the Slytherin house and she had good friends in all the houses except Slytherin. For the most part, Andromeda felt a lot safer than she had before coming back to school. There always seemed to be someone else willing to watch her back.

"Andromeda?" someone said quietly as they reached the church. Kitty's eyes widened as she saw the two people standing there. Andromeda turned and saw her little sister, her blonde hair slipping in the wind. A man stood next to her, Uncle Alphard.

"What are you-"

"I wanted to talk to you," Narcissa said quietly. Kitty opened her mouth to talk but her mother shuffled her inside.

"You're not going to st-"

"I know you're going through with this. I'm not here to stop you," Narcissa answered. "I just- I wanted to see you before- before-"

"I got married?"

"Before she really isn't allowed to talk to you anymore," Uncle Alphard put in carefully, his eyes studying Andromeda closely.

"She hasn't been talking to me since winter break," Andromeda informed him. "Every time I've tried she's-"

"I have a reputation to maintain," Narcissa told her sharply. "I can't be seen talking to you."

"Yet here you are," Andromeda pointed out.

"Here I am," she replied, the three of them falling into silence, birds chirping in the background as the clouds moved slowly across the sky.

"You look very pretty Annie," Uncle Alphard told her, apparently feeling things had gotten too uncomfortable.

"Thank you."

"You're wearing make-up," Narcissa commented suddenly. "I haven't seen you wear make-up since- since you were-"

"Thirteen, when a certain eleven year old decided to experiment on me and it went horribly wrong."

"It wasn't that horrible for a first attempt," Narcissa complained.

"I looked like a hooker," Andromeda reminded her. Narcissa managed to crack a small smile.

"Well, you don't today. Apparently you have more talent with make-up than I did at eleven."

"Oh, I don't. Kitty did my make-up."

"Kitty?"

"Ted's sister."

"A muggle?" Narcissa asked in disgust. Andromeda sighed and didn't answer her. Narcissa took a deep breath in and began to speak again. "Bella is engaged to Rodolphus now."

"Oh."

"They did a trade I think. Bellatrix for you."

"Oh," Andromeda said again, not sure how she should feel. In all honesty she didn't really care. The only thing she knew was that Bellatrix had never wanted to be married.

"Your parents are thrilled. That's why I'm in town, for her wedding. But I wanted to say my good-byes as well," Uncle Alphard broke in and then sighed. "They figured that Rodolphus would break out of the family completely after your," he paused, thinking of a word, "mishap."

"He's infatuated with Bella," Andromeda told him.

"Most men who fancy themselves brave are," Alphard agreed.

"Bella's not happy about it," Narcissa added.

"No, I wouldn't imagine that she would be," Andromeda replied.

Narcissa looked up at her and shook her head. "You really lived up to your name, didn't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Andromeda, the girl on the rock, about to be devoured by a monster, suddenly gets away from it all. And so did Bellatrix. The warrior. It's very much who she is. I just hope I can live up to mine."

"Cissy, why would you want to?" Andromeda asked her sharply.

"Dying staring at my reflection. It sounds far more pleasant than the other ways I could go," she answered.

"Cissy," Uncle Alphard scolded.

"Well, it does," she bit back, her eyes narrowed as she met Andromeda's eyes. "Nothing has gone according to plan so I can at least hope my life goes according to my name." She sighed and shook her head, looking down at the ground. "I had it all figured out you know. When I got engaged to Lucius, I thought that was it. There was the plan. I would get married and so would you and maybe Bella. And we'd be happy and stay the same, stay together, be safe. But nothing's gone according to plan, has it?" she asked disheartened. "Bella's going to die or be imprisoned. I can't deny that," she said, looking to the side. "I know my fiancé is doomed to the same fate. And you- I never would have dreamed that things would end up like this for you back then. I thought- I wanted you to marry a pureblood who would be nice to you because if he was nice and let you be yourself then I could keep you. You would always be Annie. But you're not my Annie anymore, are you? You haven't been for a long time."

"Cissy-" Andromeda started.

"It's not fair!" she yelled suddenly, tears forming in her eyes. "You and Bella get everything you wanted and I'm stuck with a compromise. It's not fair," she cried, the tears now streaming down her face. Alphard looked between the pair of them not seeming like he knew what to say. Andromeda shook her head at Narcissa in disbelief.

"You think I have everything I want? Leaving my family? Hurting you? Living in the middle of a war? Getting married to someone who's in danger because of me? And Bella? Do you think this is what she wants either? Estranged from both her sisters? Engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange when the only one she wants is You-Know-Who? You think that's what she wants?" Andromeda asked, fighting not to cry herself. Her voice was starting to shake. Narcissa sniveled and shook her head as Andromeda heard the door open and footsteps coming towards them. She and her uncle looked up to see Ted coming towards them. He froze, meeting her eyes to see if she wanted him and she shrugged. He came down further as Narcissa looked up and noticed him before taking a deep breath.

"So who wins?" Narcissa asked. Ted reached Andromeda and took her hand in his. She slid closer to him so they were nearly touching at the shoulder. "At the end of this war, which of us wins? You or me or Bella?"

""Nobody," Uncle Alphard said suddenly, not taking his eyes off of Ted. He took a deep breath as his words grew slower, into his typical cautious pace. "Nobody wins in war. There are sides that win and sides that lose but every individual person loses. Everyone is hurt by betrayal and death and bad memories. This is as good as it gets, more or less."

"I thought there was supposed to be a happy ending for somebody," Narcissa stumbled. Alphard shook his head as he met Andromeda's eye.

"Happy endings are in stories, Cissy. You make the choice you think will make you happiest, lead to the least regret, and you live with it."

"I've done that," she protested as he looked at her.

"You're lucky then," he told her. He looked back up at Andromeda and Ted again. "I still haven't managed the last part." Andromeda suddenly let go of Ted's hand and dashed forward, throwing her arms around her uncle, tears starting to run down her eyes. He hugged her tight for a moment and then pulled away, taking her hands in his, managing to smile weakly. There were tears in his eyes as well but he glanced towards Ted. "You'd better not hurt her. I've got strings I can pull to make you miserable without anyone knowing it was me. Or there's an eleven year old boy who wouldn't hesitate to try beating you to a pulp," he managed with a forced chuckle.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Ted replied, meeting his eyes.

"Sirius?" Andromeda asked moving her arm to wipe away her tears. Narcissa grabbed her arm before she managed it. Uncle Alphard nodded.

"Walburga's- demonstration had the opposite effect she wanted," he told her. "Sirius, saw her hurting you, one of his favorite people. He saw you," he inclined his head towards Ted, "still trying to fight when you were obviously very hurt. I am afraid Burga is running into some definite- problems with Sirius now. He is being rather a pain for her."

"Andromeda, here," Narcissa sighed, taking out her wand and pointing it at Andromeda. She felt a brief cool feeling across her face and then it felt normal again. "If you're going to cry at least protect your make-up and don't push it away like that."

"Okay," she agreed as Ted took her hand again and she gave it a light squeeze. Narcissa took a shaky breath and then turned to Uncle Alphard.

"I want to get going," she told him. He nodded at her. Andromeda paused for a moment as they began to walk away and then let go of Ted's hand, rushing after her sister.

"Cissy, wait."

"Don't call me Cissy. I haven't called you Annie since I found out you were leaving us. At least pay me the same courtesy," she growled.

"I wanted to thank you," Andromeda told her. "You saved us from being tracked, saved Ted's life, and-"

"I wanted you to leave," Narcissa interrupted. "If he was gone, you'd stick around. You'd try to protect Sirius, Regulus," she took a deep breath, "me. You'd try to protect us from Bellatrix, from Rodolphus, from the war. And I didn't want to have to spend the rest of my life pretending you were the same as the rest of the family and yet watching you get treated like crap, used." Her eyes glanced back at Uncle Alphard but he looked away. "You're a blood-traitor and I can live with that. In that case, I can forget you, pretend there never was a you. I can pretend that everything was just how it was supposed to be. If you had been my full sister who got treated worse than any of us because of something we were all supposed to pretend didn't happen, I- I could pretend on the outside but I'd always see you, always have it shoved in my face that things didn't turn out how they were supposed to be." She sighed and shook her head. "But I might have been wrong there anyway," she said, meeting Andromeda's eyes. "There's someone else you might have left to protect, isn't there?" Andromeda looked at her in confusion and Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Andromeda, you're glowing. And most people might not be able to see it but I know your stomach on its own is flatter than that."

"You're pregnant?" Uncle Alphard asked, studying Andromeda for a second and then looking back at Ted. Andromeda nodded.

"A girl. I'm due in late September," she answered. He shook his head.

"You really aren't a Black are you? As a group there's more fertility issues at this point than Henry the VIII. Could be the new mix of genes," he said glancing at Ted. Then he snorted. "And Bellatrix certainly won't be having children."

"Of course she wouldn't," Andromeda shrugged in agreement. "She's good about spells. She wouldn't want to have-" Andromeda began.

"Are you implying you're not?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Andromeda blushed badly and Ted laughed behind her. She wheeled around to glare at him and he tried to cover it but he was still laughing. Uncle Alphard was fighting not to chuckle.

"My hair changed again, didn't it?" she asked Ted. He nodded.

"Actually, the problem is Rodolphus," Uncle Alphard told her peeling his eyes from her hair. "He's become sterile," his eyes moved to Ted, "fairly recently." Ted grinned a little and looked up at the sky. Narcissa was staring at Andromeda's head.

"Your hair is pink," she commented in astonishment.

"It does that when she blushes or her pulse goes up," Ted told her. Narcissa gave him a look of disgust as Andromeda pulled out her wand and fixed the color of her hair. The four of them were silent for a moment and Andromeda bit her lip as she met the eyes of her sister. She sighed.

"I guess I won't have much chance of seeing you around school, will I?" she asked. Narcissa shook her head. She took a gulp of air. "So I guess this is good-bye then," she told her. Narcissa nodded, straightening her back but her breathing was uneven. Finally she broke and zoomed forward, hugging Andromeda hard.

"Good-bye Annie," she said, tears flowing from her eyes again. Andromeda didn't answer, just hugged her back, her face in Narcissa's hair, feeling her own tears. After a moment her sister pulled back and pushed away her tears with the back of her hand as she stepped back towards Alphard. Ted took her hand again and she slid closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Narcissa walked further away as Uncle Alphard came closer to Andromeda and lightly laid a hand on her shoulder that wasn't against Ted's.

"I think you did manage to choose the path of least regret," he told her quietly. "And Aunt Cassiopiea thinks the same." He shook his head and sighed. "Live your life well, kid. You're living for both of us too." He smiled at her. "Good-bye Andromeda."

"Bye," she whispered softly, her eyes on his. He turned and followed after Narcissa, fading from sight.

"Are you okay?" Ted asked her quietly. She pulled away from him and nodded. Her eyes met his.

"You ready?"

"You still want to go through with it today?" She nodded. He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead, her heart starting to thump at the feel of his touch. She slipped her hand into his and the two of them walked towards the church. He chuckled a little. "I love you Dromeda."

"I love you too Ted."

"No, I mean I _really_ love you," the told her, a grin on his face. She glared over at him.

"My hair's pink again, isn't it?" He nodded at her, his lips pressed tightly together trying not to laugh. "If this is the way you're going to act when I'm pregnant, I am never sleeping with you again!" she told him.

"Oh great, always what a guy wants to hear the day he gets married," Ted told her. Andromeda smirked as she changed her hair back and got to the doors, shaking her head.

"You still want to go through with it?" she asked him smugly.

"Oh sure. You'll cave soon enough. I know you just want me for my body."

"Theodore Tonks!" she yelped at him as he opened the door and smirked.

"Lady's first."

"Thanks," she growled, trying to grin as she walked inside and was grabbed by Alice and Francis. Ted quickly kissed hard her on the lips before speeding away, leaving Andromeda trying very hard not to smile. He was trouble. Definite trouble. But then again, so was she.

"Andromeda why's your hair pink?" Francis asked with a frown of confusion. Andromeda sighed as her hand brushed lightly over her stomach. And apparently trouble bred trouble.

**End, finito, oh crap what am I going to waste time doing now? Playing Sims doesn't LOOK productive whereas typing into a growing word document does. I even found out, that when you reach a certain number of misspelled words in Microsoft Word, the spell check has it's fill and turn off unless you teach it some of the words (Gryffindor, Slytherin, etc.). I so didn't know that before I wrote this.**

**Anyway, I really want to thank you guys. I've never written a story this long and I've NEVER received so many reviews. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I hope you think it was worth it. Also, thanks to Emma who acted as my sounding board a LOT despite the fact that I moved an hour and a half away from her.**

**If people are interested, I might post some one-shots pertaining to this but not directly related to the plot (Sirius moving out, father/daughter moment with Ted and Dora, etc.) I am going to post a reflection of Slughorn's over his collection of the Blacks.**

**So, thank you again, and well, the end.**


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